Mutual Benefits
by Brandywyne Walker
Summary: After overhearing a conversation between Prentiss and Todd, Hotch sees his own isolation in his team mate and proposes a solution to solve both their problems. What happens when things take a turn he didn't plan?
1. Insomnia And Idle Chatter

_**Mutual Benefits**_

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><p>Start Date: April 11, 2011<p>

Completed:

Pairing: Aaron Hotchner & Emily Prentiss

Spoilers: A/U Season Four, Spoiler up to and including 52 Pick-up

Rating: T

Summary: After overhearing a conversation between Prentiss and Todd, Hotch sees his own isolation in his team mate and proposes a solution to solve both their problems. What happens when things take a turn neither of them planned on?

Author's Note: This story's plotline has taken on a dozen different changes over the last couple of months since I started to work on it and will likely take on a dozen more before the revisions are finished but I loved the idea enough to want to keep it in some form and the following mess is what evolved out of an idea I had.

After watching "About Face", when Rossi mentions Hotch used to call Haley a dozen times a day, the idea got into my head that only a person with a romantic nature calls that often just to say hi. I decided that trying to play with romantic Hotch could be fun and this is what came of it. I don't think it got it quiet the way I wanted to, not being terribly romantic myself, but in the end it was a pile of fun to write… So please, read, enjoy and don't forget to let me know what you think.

For anyone who was curious I'm starting the draft of the sequel to "Things Overheard" and it should be going up by the time I get this one completely finished. So keep your eyes open for it, it's going to be titled "Things of Consequence".

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><p><em>This story is a work of fiction by an amateur writer and is for entertainment purposes only. The writer is in no way associated with Criminal Minds nor anyone connected to the program. No Copyright infringement is intended and no monetary compensation has been received by the creation of this story.<em>

_All publicly recognized characters and storylines are owned by The Mark Gordon Company, Paramount/Viacom, Touchstone Television, CBS Television Studios, ABC Studios, and their related entities._

_All original characters, settings and/or storylines are Copyright protected (__** Rev. Brandywyne L. Walker 2003 - 2011**__) Any duplication or distribution of this story, in whole or in part, expressly prohibited without written consent of the Author._

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><p><em><strong>Chapter One – Insomnia And Idle Chatter<strong>_

Hotch violently shoved the files he was looking at into his briefcase before snapping the lid shut and rubbing his tired eyes. He reached up and turned off the overhead light, allowing the shadowed darkness to surround him, praying, not for the first time, that his always racing mind would still, if just for a few minutes, just long enough to fall asleep.

They still sat on the tarmac at the Atlanta airport waiting to take off and head back home. A wind storm had broken out around Quantico just before they were scheduled for takeoff and the pilot had decided, with such a small plane, to postpone the trip until the winds died down some, leaving the team with quiet time they didn't normally have.

Realistically, he could hope for a good couple of hours before they landed and if he was lucky he might just be able to get a little sleep before then. The first few hours after a case was over seemed to be about the only time his mind was relatively quiet. He supposed that it had a lot to do with the release of endorphins after what was several days fuelled by adrenaline.

But normally, by the time they got back home he was tense, stressed and sleep would once again evade him. But at the moment it was still and quiet, both in his mind and on the plane, the only sounds filling the small aircraft were the soft murmuring sounds of Derek's iPod and the gentle shuffle of papers.

It was a welcome relief.

Mentally, there were too many things vying for his attention back home and he seemed to have completely lost the ability to just relax. Between his worries over how little time he was spending with Jack, the still strained relationship between him and his now ex-wife, and the time that he was spending at the BAU, he simply wasn't getting a lot of sleep.

Mind you, he couldn't really complain too much about the time he spent at the BAU. At least if he was at work, he wasn't sitting in that cold overly depressing apartment of his and that was more than enough reason to spend time at the office.

Besides, when he was there he had the team to distract him. If his thoughts started to get too morose he could wander down into the bullpen and listen to the team chattering on about what ever thing was going on in their lives at the moment and it would often remind him that there was life after his divorce.

That in itself was another thought… He was single again. What the hell did he know about dating anymore? When had he ever really? Not that he was ready for that or even looking for a new relationship, but he had loved being married. And honestly he couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life alone.

Often times lately he thought that he missed the intimacy and companionship that came with marriage more then he missed Haley. God knows he sure didn't miss the fighting which seemed to permeate the end of their life together.

He was just starting to drift off to the sounds of the plane's engines starting when he heard another new sound coming from the seats behind his own, the quiet whispers of his newest agents filling the void of silence around him.

Involuntarily he felt himself smiling at that. Turned out that Prentiss was right about Todd after all, although he shouldn't have doubted it because the woman had an uncanny ability to read people, a trait he was coming to rely on more and more.

He focused on the soft melodic sounds of their voices and tried his best to drift off, even though he knew that in the end it wasn't likely to happen. But listening to their soft chatter was soothing and perhaps the relaxation he could get from that would be enough for tonight.

"Okay… worst date ever." Todd's voice took on a note of childish glee over the topic of their conversation.

She had spent enough time with Prentiss in the last couple of weeks to know that getting the woman to open up about anything was a feat all of its own, let alone anything as personal as this was. Emily Prentiss was extremely reserved at the best of times but the high from the night out, sticking it to 'the Viper' and finally catching the un-sub seemed to be making the other woman relax enough to share.

Emily let out a soft groan and dropped her head to the side, allowing it to rest on the back of the bench seat. "Oh God, I wouldn't even know where to start."

"There has been that many?" Jordan's eyes widened dramatically and Emily grinned. The darker woman was in for a real education tonight on the crap luck that amounted to Emily Prentiss' love life in general and the long list of losers she had encountered over the years.

Emily shifted completely sideways so that they were facing each other on the long bench seat and pulled her feet up, tucking one up underneath her as she got more comfortable, warming up to the idea of sharing with this woman who she knew was fast becoming one of her few friends. "You have no idea."

"So…" When it didn't look like the Emily wasn't going to continue Jordan flapped her hands at her and let out an impatient huff. "Tell me."

"More than I care to remember thank you very much." Emily got a pensive look on her face as she thought back over the years. "They all seemed so normal and… sane at first. But then a little time passes and the asshole comes out of his shell."

Jordan frowned at that, finding it more than a little odd that Emily's voice was so matter of fact on the subject. There was a level of resignation in her tone that surprised the other woman. She had clearly seen the way that the men at the club looked at Emily. She could even admit that she was more than a little envious of the attention she garnered without even trying. By the time they had spotted Viper, Emily had been asked to dance, no less than four times and received several offers to buy her a drink, from men that Jordan would have been more than happy to spend the evening talking to.

"Well, you can't just leave me hanging there. Examples if you please." Jordan turned on the bench so that she was facing the other woman and adopted a similar pose, attempting to balance her coffee cup on her knee while leaning her head against her raised fist.

Emily knew that even though they were both exhausted there was no way they would be getting any rest. What could it hurt in the end? She was still too wound up from the evening and Paul Thomas seemed to have dredged up the memory of every single one of her less than stellar relationship. She closed her eyes for a moment and felt a wave of self-pity flow through her. There were so many in her list of dead beat boyfriends and wanna-be lovers.

"Well, we could start out with the son of a senator that I dated for a few months when I was in my early twenties." She shrugged her shoulder diffidently and looked out the plane window at the darkness as she continued. "Found out that the only reason he was paying any attention to me was because he wanted an in with my Mother and her political connections."

Jordan raised a brow at that, but having spent as many years in Washington as she had that didn't surprise her as much as it should have. "You're kidding?"

"I'm afraid not, and they just go downhill from there." Emily's eyes got a distant look to them as she remembered one of her less than impressive dates from shortly before her transfer. "There was a guy about two years ago, just before I moved here, that actually got up and left me in a restaurant, in the middle of our date, with the bill no less."

When all she got in response was another hand roll and a raised eyebrow, Emily let out a sigh and continued with the tale. "He found out that I love and collect science fiction books. Apparently, that was more offensive than he could deal with."

Warming up to the conversation Emily straightened in her seat so she was sitting upright and took a sip of her hot coffee before she continued. "Oh and one of the best ones was a perfectly normal guy that was after my trust fund. When he found out that I didn't have day to day access to it till I was 25 he took off like a flash." She let out a self-deprecating grin, "He was a personal favorite of mine."

Jordan was a little dumbfounded and sat there for several seconds, not really too sure what to say. "They can't have all been that bad, I mean there has to be one or two that weren't total losers."

"There have been one or two over the years but I saved the best for last. It was not long after I moved here and he seemed okay. Even humored my science fiction fetish until…" She trailed off and waited for the impatient noise she knew was coming. "I found out that he only asked me out because he figured 'tough chick with a gun has got to be an kinky lay'."

When Todd's jaw dropped Emily smirked at her. "And yes, that was a direct quote."

Jordan looked so sad for her that Emily almost felt bad for only picking out the worst ones. "It hasn't been all bad; there have been a couple of real dirt bags but not that many really. I mean in the end I just never had anything in common with any of them. It was either that they shared interests but there was no chemistry or there was chemistry but nothing that you could build on."

Todd fiddled with her cup for a moment and then glanced sideways at her newest friend. "You think it's the job that does it?"

"I don't think it helps much." Emily shrugged but thought about the question for a moment. "It's hard to find time to socialize at all when you have this job but meeting new people is even harder when you keep cancelling plans and they shy away from what you do for a living."

"I haven't had a problem with that… Men seem to be attracted to 'it's classified', the only real advantage to being in Counter Terrorism."

They clinked cups in solidarity and then got quiet for a few minutes, each one lost in their thoughts.

Emily gave Todd a strange look when she shifted on the seat, looking uncomfortable. But rather than push her she allowed her to come to the conversation on her own.

"I know you spoke to Agent Hotchner on my behalf. I just wanted to say thank you again. If it hadn't been for you I'd still be in the dog house." Jordan looked equal parts grateful for the help and embarrassment over the fact that she needed it in the first place.

"Hotch? He's not that bad when you get used to him. He's tough, I'll give you that, but he's fair and intensely loyal to his people." Emily glanced over at the darkened table where she knew Hotch was sitting and frowned a little.

She was concerned about him. He seemed so withdrawn and stressed lately. Granted she didn't know him all that well, but the rest of the team had that same look when they watched him. She didn't think he had noticed how worried his team was about him but it was there if you knew them well enough and knew where to look.

After his divorce he started to isolate himself from the rest of the team, and in a way she figured that it made sense. She had never met anyone that was more circumspect or private in her life. But after New York it only seemed to get worse and it was hard to watch, even harder to hear the team talking about the man that he used to be, back before she joined the team.

Jordan could see the tension settling in Emily and decided she needed to draw her away from where ever it was that her mind was going.

"So too many bad dates to name, you are gonna keep looking, aren't you?"

"I don't know anymore." She let out a weary sigh and did her best to refocus on the conversation. "You know, at this point I'm not even looking for a relationship anymore. I would settle for just finding a friend, someone to spend time with."

"You seem to be really close to the team. Don't you all spend time together?"

"Yes but it's not the same as having one on one time and they all have lives to live too. I don't want to impose upon them simply because I'm lonely." She laid her head on the back of the bench and closed her eyes, allowing that to be a natural end to the conversation.

Hotch blinked his eyes and shifted in his seat a bit, trying to find a more comfortable position. Looked like sleep was going to be a total loss once again but this time it wasn't thoughts about himself that was keeping him awake, it was thoughts about Prentiss.

A frown marred his features as he listened to the defeat in Prentiss' voice. He didn't get it either. Given the amount of time he spent with the woman he might have a slightly deeper insight into her than most men but it didn't take long talking to her to find out that she had many desirable traits.

Ones that were worth more than the type of attention she seemed to be getting.

She was fervent about the things she believed in, dedicated to her job, incredibly loyal, which he found out first hand, compassionate, almost to a fault, and had a heart of gold. She loved without reservation the people that she deemed worthy of that affection and she would protect any of them with her own life if it became necessary.

And she wasn't hardened by their job, as he had found with many people in law enforcement; she still had that soft eager child living in her somewhere that their job couldn't seem to touch. He could remember times when her face was alight youthful enjoyment. From something as innocent as Reid's physics magic to the pleasure she derived in something simple as her favorite bar of dark chocolate.

How could a man know her and not want her? He had seen the interest she received from many of the officers they had to deal with, he would have to be blind not to. And even he couldn't deny that she was incredibly beautiful… even desirable.

So why did it seem that she had such terrible luck with love?

And why, with everything else that was demanding his attention lately, was it all he could now think about?

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><p><em>TBC in Chapter Two – Beneficial Offers<em>


	2. Beneficial Offers

_**Chapter Two – Beneficial Offers**_

_**Extra Special Note:**__ Normally I respond to every person who reviews… At least the ones that I can but there was so many of you for the first chapter that I didn't have time between the last posting and this one… So here it is…. THANK YOU SO MUCH! There, I will be more diligent about replying in the future but I thought you guys would rather have the next chapter than my responses…. But thank you again; your response to this story has once again been overwhelming…_

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><p>Hotch stood and looked out over the quad, searching for a familiar head of dark brown hair. He spotted the latest class of recruits lounging around under a grouping of trees and trying their best to soak up what was left of the late summer sun and tossing a football back and forth. Slipping his sun glasses onto his face he waited for his eyes to adjust and took a look around.<p>

Finally he found her perched at one of the picnic tables, books scattered all around, open to various pages and some pages were gently flitting in the warm breeze. He felt a small unfamiliar smile cross his lips as he watched Prentiss slapping at her hair as it floated in front of her eyes, obstructing her vision. She had left it down that morning and now it seemed to be giving her no end of problems, but still she had yet to tie it up. Aaron wondered at that, it seemed more practical to have it tied back.

Emily was flipping from one book to another and back again, before starting the same process with another book. She was so focused she never even noticed the random football that landed a dozen feet to her left or the young man who nearly fell on her table in an effort to catch it.

There were few people who could match his level of focus and the woman he was watching was one of them.

But even with that level of focus she seemed more at peace than she had been in weeks. It wasn't very often that he got to see her relaxed, where she wasn't wary and on guard. It was an unfortunate side effect of their job and the things that they saw, but here on campus she was at ease and free to enjoy the warm summer air. And as much as he was reluctant to admit it, in this moment he was free to just enjoy watching her. Something he had taken to doing in the last couple of weeks, since they came back from Atlanta.

For several moments he just stood and observed her, trying to figure out how to get this conversation started. He was completely at a loss, but since he had made his decision he figured that he would find the words when the time came and started to move towards her again. It all seemed so very logical and well planned out in his head when he was standing in his office but out here in the quad, in the open, with other people, he wasn't nearly so sure. He was even less sure about his ability to get it out of his mouth without looking like an idiot.

A concern he normally wasn't worried about.

And still there was a niggling doubt in the back of his mind that fairly screamed that this was a _really_ bad idea. With malice of forethought he pushed that feeling back down.

This was going to be a good thing, for both of them, he was sure of it.

Aaron slowed his steps as he came up behind her and took the opportunity to watch her for a moment without her realizing he was doing so. Emily was straddling the table's bench and had several books open around her. Every once and a while her hair would float across her face and she would reach up and bat it away before turning back to her books and flipping from one to another and back again. How she could possibly be absorbing any information that way, he had no idea, but she seemed to be doing just fine.

It was a skill she shared with Reid and one that he often envied.

Finally he moved close enough to where she was sitting and looked down at her. Her head tipped back as she peered up at him, trying to figure out who caused the shadow to fall across the book she was currently looking at. Emily raised her hand to shade her eyes and they widened as she discovered who was with her.

Soft spoken as always he attempted to smile as he talked to her. Attempting to seem less harsh and imposing than he normally did, since this matter was personal and not professional as she might suspect. "May I sit?"

"Hotch!" Emily greeted him with a delighted smile on her face and obvious pleasure in her voice as she indicated the other side of the table, the side not currently occupied by all of her books.

She wouldn't admit it to anyone but she was more than happy to have an excuse to get away from reading. She felt like she had been at it for hours. But besides that, it wasn't very often that you got to see Hotch outside of the BAU when they were on campus. And she figured any time that Hotch seemed to venture out of the office of his own free will was a reason to celebrate.

Taking a seat across from her he didn't speak for several minutes as he took in the site of all of her books but finally curiosity got the best of him and unable to contain it any longer he picked up one of the books she was looking at. Flipping it over to glance at the cover he was surprised to discover it was an annotate version of the standard child psychology text book used in the courses taught for children's cases. And from the looks of it she had scattered around her every single book referenced by the one.

"Planning on leaving Adult Analysis?"

The playful note in Hotch's voice stunned her for a moment. Hotch wasn't playful, wasn't teasing, and she didn't really know how to react to him.

"Not any time soon." She tentatively reached out and grasped the book before placing it in the pile that was in front of her. Carefully, deliberately, she closed the books and stacked them in a neat pile off to the side, stalling, trying to figure out how she was to react to him in this situation.

_Well, that went over well, didn't it Aaron?_, was the only thought in his mind. He was trying for teasing and now she actually looked frightened.

Hotch turned to face her and folded his arms in front of him leaning forward, his head tipped to the side in thought. Now that he was here with her he honestly had no idea where to start.

This was why he avoided being impulsive.

It tended to back fire on him.

The silence was becoming unbearable and Emily decided to jump in with both feet. She had no idea why he was here. Hotch never sought her out for anything and she couldn't even begin to guess why he was here now. It obviously wasn't work related since he would have jumped into that conversation without taking the time to sit down and as best as she could recall she hadn't done anything to upset him recently so that wasn't it either.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, carefully assessing him. "What do you want Hotch?"

Damn, this was going to be harder than he thought. She looked pensive and uncomfortable and his stalling wasn't helping matters any but he seriously had no idea how to broach the subject with her. He had always done his best to stay out of his teams personal lives and this was actually going a step farther than just being personal.

Aaron pursed his lips; this is the part where everything he rehearsed went out the window. It all sounded trite and… kind of stupid.

Another feeling he wasn't used to having.

It seemed that this woman tended to do that to him.

"Have dinner with me." His words were blurted out in a rush and he could feel his face flush as he looked down. That wasn't going to go over well.

"I'm sorry?" He glanced up at her before dropping his eyes back to the table. Now he felt like even more of an idiot because her eyes were so wide they looked about ready to fall out of her head.

He stood up and moved to leave, feeling incredibly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, this was a bad idea."

Emily stood up and reached a hand out to him. "Wait Hotch… What is it? Obviously there's something." She indicated the spot he had been sitting in and took her own seat again and willed him to sit down with her.

He shifted from foot to foot and considered just leaving but he knew that this would work, for both of them. He just had to get it out and make her see what he was thinking.

Hotch took his seat again and she waited for him to say something, anything, to explain his impromptu invitation.

When he was silent for too long she prompted him softly, "Dinner?"

Raising a fist, he cleared his throat, trying to get past the unexpected nerves he was experiencing. Straightening up he attempted to sound clear and confident. "Yes, I'm purposing that you have dinner with me."

"Why?"

Now she sounded suspicious and guarded. He turned his head away and looked off into the distance, trying to figure out how to explain this to her in a way that would make her favorable to his suggestion. He refused to think about why her acceptance had become so important to him.

"I heard you on the plane." She gave him a blank stare in response. "I heard you talking to Agent Todd when we were coming back from Atlanta."

"Oh… OH!" She flushed with embarrassment and looked down.

Emily hadn't realized that anyone was still awake. It wasn't often that she indulged in a moment's pity for her deplorable love life and to know that Hotch was the one that heard her made it all that much worse. But as the embarrassment ebbed, in its place came a shocking level of anger.

"I'm not interested in a pity date." She started to stand up, her voice harsh and her features closed off. This time it was it was Hotch that reached out and gently grasped her wrist, preventing her from leaving.

"Please… hear me out before you run off."

She gazed down at him and took in his earnest look. This was a man that she trusted with everything, even her own life. He was deliberate and calculating in everything that he did. So whatever it was he was thinking was, if nothing else it was well thought out.

She thumped herself back down into the seat across from him and gave him a short glare, but she would listen to him. Depending on what he had to say would depend on if she kicked his ass afterward.

Seeing the severity in her features he knew he only had one shot at this and if he didn't get it right it could make things very difficult between him and Prentiss from this point forward.

_Now why had that thought not occurred to him before this point?_

He faced her again and squared his shoulders and Emily was tempted to smile because he honestly looked like he was about to do battle.

"This all seemed so straight forward in my head but now that I'm sitting here I can't seem to work it out." He scratched the side of his neck and looked so uncomfortable that she finally turned herself to face him, giving him the benefit of the doubt.

"Cliché I know, but how about at the beginning?"

"We seem to have similar problems at the moment and I was thinking we could help each other out."

"Okay… I know my problems. What are you talking about?"

"I have several."

"Hmm," Emily gave a non-committal noise of agreement and tried not to laugh at the mock affronted look on his face. This almost playful Hotch was someone that she thought she could easily get used to.

"Well, you didn't have to agree with me." It might have seemed harsh to anyone looking on, except for the slight curl of his lips that most people would have missed. Save the people who spent as much time with him as his team did.

Hotch let out a sigh and turned to look away from her, believing that this might be easier if he wasn't looking directly at her. "All of my adult life I have been with someone, a partner, husband, then father. Now I'm alone and I'm not really sure how to cope."

Yep, that idea didn't work, it was still difficult.

"So you've been burying yourself in work." There was a sympathy and understanding in her voice that surprised him, although it shouldn't have.

"Exactly, and I know since you came back to Washington you have been too busy to get out and just have a good time, relax, make friends again."

"And to you, this somehow translated into dinner?"

Hotch pursed his lips because this was something he didn't want to discuss with anyone, let alone the woman sitting across from him.

To be honest, it was embarrassing and a little too personal. But if he wanted her to agree to his idea, without having to worry about it being taken the wrong way, he was going to have to be more open with Prentiss than he had been with anyone in a very long time.

Now it was Emily's turn to sigh, this was starting to feel a little bit like walking in a mine field. "Hotch? There is obviously something bothering you. You don't have to talk about it and I won't be offended but… it might help."

This was the one thing that he had learned about her in the time she had been on the team. Always open and friendly, always willing to give a shoulder and help if she could. He had just never experienced it directed at him before.

Aaron was slightly startled by the warm feeling that settled in his chest at the thought that she had deemed him worthy of an honor she saved for her friends, that he had made it that far with her. Lord knows he certainly never gave her an abundance of reasons to allow him the title of friend.

Following the warmth was a feeling of shame that he had made it so hard on her over the last year. More than once, he was intolerant and cutting when he didn't need to be. He had found it so hard to be open and trusting with her after her less than auspicious arrival on his team and he could admit it now, that even though it was not her fault in any way, he hadn't forgiven her. And he should have.

It was an interesting dichotomy he faced with Prentiss. There was a level of severity in his feelings for her but at the same time she meant just as much to him as any member of his team; sometimes even more so… like Colorado, when he was blinded by his feelings when he allowed himself to react to a situation without thinking.

"As I said, I'm alone for the first time in a very long time and while I'm still adjusting I have come to realize that I don't like it. Besides missing simple companionship, I liked being married, having a family." Seeing the way that her eyes widened he rushed to explain, "No, no, nothing like that. It's just that at some point in the future I'm going to have to try and… date."

Emily felt her lips twitch and almost laughed out loud at how distasteful he seemed to find the word. She did her best to school her features before trying to talk but she knew that the humor was clear in her voice. "Okay, now you've lost me."

Aaron sighed again.

This was much harder than he thought it would be.

"I don't know how to date, I didn't really back then. But I was a lot younger and Haley and I were already friends. This is so much more complicated."

She shrugged her shoulders at him, not really getting what the problem was. "Not really Hotch, you start with 'hey, how about dinner?'"

"And look at how well that's gone so far." His tone was completely self-deprecating and whatever mistrust she had completely disappeared.

"You'll have to forgive me, but you don't really like me… so you'll have to understand my hesitation at your offer." Her voice was sincere and he felt like a total bastard.

Again he was besieged with the same feeling of guilt. "I'm sorry for making you feel that way. It wasn't that I didn't like you. I'm suspicious and slightly paranoid by nature." Emily snorted at that and Hotch sent her a reproving glare. "And while it makes me very good at this job, it makes me terrible at interpersonal relationships. I never hated you but your arrival on the team made me distrustful and by the time that trust was earned it was more of a learned behavior than anything else, one that neither of us seemed in a hurry to break."

"Okay… So I get that, but dinner?" Emily still couldn't figure out the leaps in logic that Hotch seemed to be making.

"What I would like to suggest is this. I take you out. You get to go out and have a good time, without worrying about work and last minute cancellations, perhaps meet some new people in the area. I get to practice dating, without any of the expectation of what comes next, without the pressures of actually trying to date."

Emily furrowed her brow and considered what he was suggesting. At first, her instinct was to say no. She glanced at him from beneath her lashes and considered him for a moment. He truly seemed to be completely open for the first time since she had met him. There appeared to be no ulterior motives or desires on his part, just exactly what he was saying. Was he really only after companionship?

But even considering that, she didn't know anything about the man sitting across from her, if they would even be able to get along without a case sitting between them. But then… if she was honest with herself, she lonely as hell and really needed to escape the four walls of her condo before she lost her mind.

"So… platonic dating?" she queried with a soft voice.

The notion struck Hotch as funny and let out the first genuine smile in longer than he cared to admit.

"Platonic dating." He affirmed in a much stronger tone than she had used. He liked the sound of that.

Emily looked off in the distance and slowly nodded her head. What the hell? It was just dinner after all.

"Okay. I'm in."

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><p><em>TBC in Chapter Three – Unexpected Role Reversals<em>

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><p><em>Author's Note – Okay… so the premise and even the characters… totally OOC. And you know, after how much work I had to put into these last two chapters to get them to come out this well… I'm pretty okay with that. But the part of the story I actually wanted to tell is coming up now and this was about the only way I could figure out how to lead up into my idea and still have it fit down the road. They needed to go into this 'arrangement' completely open and as just friends, with nothing more going on beneath the surface… I think I managed that… even if it's a little out in left field. ;-P Once again, enjoy and I'll see you on the flip side.<em>

_Blessings, Brandywyne_


	3. Unexpected Role Reversals

_**Chapter Three – Unexpected Role Reversals**_

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><p><em>Author's Note the First – There are a few of you who respond as anon. reviews or have your p.m. message turned off and I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you for your comments, they always are very much appreciated by me, so… Thank you. <em>

_Okay, this is the part of the story I most wanted to get to… The dates and I cannot tell you how much I loved writing this chapter, I think if I had to pick a chapter I loved writing the most this one would be it. I hope that you enjoy reading it just as much. _

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><p>Well, Hotch could admit it. Out of all of the ideas he had recently perhaps this was not one of his best. Not having dinner with Prentiss. That, in itself, was something he was surprised to find himself looking forward to and much more than he had expected. But planning it for a Friday night might not have been the best idea. Almost always, without fail, something always came up at the last moment and he couldn't get out of the BAU as fast as he would like to.<p>

He shoved another file in his briefcase and let out an impatient huff as he searched for the last one he needed from the stack on the side of his desk. As it stood now, he was running more than a half an hour late and he still needed to get home and change before heading over to her apartment. Luckily for him, the restaurant he chose was close to her apartment and easily within walking distance.

That had been a fair amount of strategic fore planning on his part. Saving both of them from what could end up being a long, uncomfortable and silent car ride.

Aaron grabbed his go bag and briefcase before switching off the lights to his office. He took one last look to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything before turning and hot footing it for the elevator. Rushing over to his car he checked his watch again and cursed slightly. It was no wonder he was divorced; he was going to be late and this was only the first date.

"Call Prentiss."

As he listened to the hands free dial and begin to ring he pulled out of the academy garage, praying for the traffic to be light. He figured if he broke several speed limits and rushed through getting ready he might only be a few minutes late. He figured he could bypass the planned shower but the last thing he wanted to do was show up at her place in a suit that he was wearing to work that day.

He didn't know why it was so important to him, but he wanted to show Prentiss that he wasn't just Hotch; her stiff, uptight, and slightly stuffy boss.

"_Hey Hotch."_ Emily was slightly out of breath as she answered the phone and he smiled at the image, imagining what she could have been doing that caused her to have to run for the phone. Perhaps he wasn't the only one that was running behind tonight. "I'm sorry, but I think I'm going to be a little late."

"_Okay."_ His brow furrowed at the fact that she didn't sound upset or bothered in the slightest. "I should be there a little before eight."

"_Okay."_ He could hear the repressed laughter in her voice and let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't upset with him. With that knowledge his nerves started to relax some.

Her voice took on a softer, more comforting tone when she spoke next and it caused him to smile. Did she just do that naturally? Try to make everyone around her feel better?

"_You sound stressed."_

"I just didn't want to be late tonight."

"_I know. But you do remember that the reason for doing this was no expectations."_

"Yes."

"_I know the job Hotch, and the fact that you aren't canceling outright or calling me in because of some new case that has cropped up is good enough. I'm not in any hurry. I can wait an extra half hour."_

Aaron briefly closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh at that. "Alright."

"_I'll see you at 8:30 okay?"_ He could hear the smile in her voice and would have given anything in that moment to have seen it.

"Thank you."

He heard the soft click on the other end of the line and let out a smile of his own. She had given him an extra half hour. Now he could relax and not feel pressured and because it was her idea. He didn't have to feel like a total ass for keeping her waiting for their first date.

He found himself surprised at how calm he was feeling now and it was just from talking to her for a couple of minutes, her soothing voice easing the pressure he was feeling. She unintentionally reminded him of all of the reasons that she was the one he wanted to give this a try with, both the spoken and unspoken ones.

He eased off the gas and leaned back a little in his seat, knowing that now, he at least had a little time to spare.

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><p>Emily fastened her ear ring, tipping her head, this way and that, before glancing at the clock. She noted that it was almost 8:30 and felt butterflies take flight in her stomach.<p>

_This was stupid! _

It was Hotch for god's sake and it wasn't even like it was a real date anyway.

It was just a casual dinner with a friend, a commonly standoffish and aloof friend, but a friend none the less. That was all, but when the phone had rung earlier she felt her heart sink at the thought that he might be canceling.

_She really needed to get out more._

Emily tucked her hair behind her ear, and questioned the wisdom of leaving it loose and curly. She surveyed her appearance one last time and then let out a huff of annoyance at herself, before shutting off the bedroom light and heading down stairs.

_She looked good. _

She knew she did and at the same time she had to wonder at why she had spent so much time worrying about what she looked like, as she reminded Hotch earlier, this wasn't a real date and there were no expectations. She didn't need to worry about impressing him, or his opinion of what she looked like, how she carried herself.

_She didn't need to hide who she was._

_So why did she find herself worrying so much._

When the knock finally came, she did her best to calm her nerves, taking a deep, steadying breath but the butterflies turned into birds as she unlocked the door.

For a moment Emily was completely stunned as she took in the site of Hotch standing before her. It took all of her skills at repressing her behaviors, not to let out a gasp at the difference in his appearance.

Not so much at what he was wearing, on any other man it was standard fair. Like her, he had opted for something far removed from work, dressed in faded black jeans and a soft dark blue dress shirt, the collar unbuttoned and his sleeves rolled slightly to show the length of his forearms. He carried a dark bomber jacket in his right hand and his keys dangling from his left. His hair was slightly ruffled and he was more removed from Agent Hotchner than she had ever seen him.

But it was more than that. Even with his obvious nervousness, he was relaxed in a way that she never seen him before. If this was the way that Hotch was away from work tonight might prove to be more interesting that she had first suspected. Emily didn't really know what she had expected tonight but the first impression gave her the hope.

His voice was much softer when he spoke, almost intimate, surprising her for a brief moment. "Are you ready?"

She pulled her sweater over her shoulders and grabbed her small clutch from the table, allowing him to lead her out the door. "You still haven't told me where we're going."

"Dinner?" He answered her smile before continuing. "There's a small Greek restaurant a couple of blocks from here that looks good."

"Oh… Santorini's?"

"You've been?" She smiled at the fact that he seemed equal parts happy she had heard of it and disappointed that she might have already been there.

"No, I drive past it almost every morning and I've always wanted to go, just never had the time or when I do I don't have the energy."

That comment caused a pleased smile to cross his face. "Well… good then. Do you mind if we walk?"

As they stepped outside and Emily breathed in a breath of the crisp clear air she turned to him with a smile. "That would be wonderful."

And it was. It was still a warm night considering how late it was in the year and the walk was comfortable with just her light sweater covering her shoulders.

Standing at the lights across from the restaurant waiting for it to change Hotch stood back and took a moment to observe his companion. She looked beautiful, that was really the only phrase he could think of to describe her that night. In abstract, it was something that he knew, that she was a very beautiful woman, but most of the time when he saw her she was dressed in regulation suits or combat pants and t-shirts. He guessed that other than the theoretical knowledge that she was an attractive woman, he hadn't really thought about it before. But he was thinking about it now.

She was dressed in a soft, flowing, pale blue sundress and a light cream colored sweater. Rather than the heels he would have expected she was wearing flat shoes that had about a million and one lace straps on them that tied about half way up her long legs. The shoes themselves made him think that she had been dressing for where they were going and reminded him of the shoes in old Greek paintings.

It was interesting to see her like this. She almost looked dainty, feminine. Not at all the how he was accustomed to seeing her. She tipped her head back as a soft breeze flowed past them and smiled as it blew the hair around her face in a completely chaotic fashion. He felt an unfamiliar warmth fill his chest at the site of her and found himself, without conscious thought of his own, moving closer to her.

She reached up a hand and pushed the hair behind her ear as it flitted across her face once again, trying her best to keep it out of her face in the light breeze. Emily turned her head and caught him staring at her, and there was no other word for what he was doing. He was blatantly staring at her and was tempted to blush. She actually did, causing him to smile. As the light changed she gave him a shy smile and started to stroll her way across the street, leaving Aaron to catch up.

Hotch pulled the door open for her and waited as she was distracted by something down the street. After a couple of moments he attempted to draw her back. "Prentiss?"

She turned to face Hotch, having already forgotten what it was she was distracted by in the first place and gave him an odd look.

Emily chewed her lower lip and stopped as she considered him. Why did he always do that? She couldn't single out one time he had called her by her first name. None of the others got singled out the way that she did. She was only ever Prentiss with him, and at work that was okay, but…

"Hotch…" Emily's voice was hesitant as she spoke.

Knowing that this was somehow important, he let go of the door and moved over to where she was standing. She looked so uncomfortable that he realized in that moment that he had somehow upset her without realizing it.

"What is it?"

Emily glanced away from him before straightening her shoulders. This wasn't something she needed to be tentative about. It was a reasonable request after all. "Can you not call me that? At least while we're out?"

"Call you what?"

"Prentiss."

His eyebrows rose in surprise and then dropped into a frown as he realized she was right. It wasn't something that he consciously did. His voice became softer and lower when he spoke, "I do, don't I? I'm sorry for that."

He pursed his lips and then tried to relax. This shouldn't be that hard but for some reason he had always maintained that distance from her and for the life of him, in that moment, he couldn't even say why.

All of the other members of the team he often referred to by their first names. Well, except for Reid. The only time he called him Spencer the poor boy looked so uncomfortable that Hotch vowed never to do it again.

"Emily." He said softly as he nodded his head slowly.

She let out a smile at the step he had taken and tried for one of her own. "Aaron?"

Understanding that the question wasn't to get his attention but to ask for permission he answered in the only way that he could. "Yes."

When her smile brightened he turned back to the door and pulled it open with a flourish. Attempting to find the levity that they had earlier he waved her in ahead of him.

It was a start.

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><p>Emily's eyes slid shut and she let out an almost delirious moan as she pushed the first bite of her lamb entree between her lips. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. She was completely absorbed in what she was doing. It was fascinating; she was elemental, carnal, and totally seductive. This was definitely a first; he had never seen his female colleague this way before.<p>

Hotch was more than happy to leave his own food and just watch her enjoy hers.

At some point he was going to have to admit to her that he had never had Greek food before and didn't have a clue what it was that he had ordered. It left him feeling a little out of his element and that was something he wasn't used to. In the end, he just picked something from the middle of the entrees and hoped that it wouldn't kill him, but watching Emily… surely the food had to be good.

God, watching her… good seemed like such a bland word.

She let out another moan as her eyes flitted open and caught him staring at her again. This time he didn't even attempt to look embarrassed, but she did. A soft, now almost familiar, blush stained her cheeks as she picked up her napkin to catch a bit of the sauce that had escaped past the corner of her lips.

Emily tipped her head to the side with a puzzled look on her face as she glanced down at Aaron's own untouched plate and raised a curious eyebrow.

Almost imperceptibly her eyes widened before a gentle understanding smile graced her face. "You haven't ever had Greek food have you?"

"Beyond traditional fair of kabobs and baklava? Not so much."

She crossed her arms in front of her and leaned in as she spoke. "So why did you pick this place?"

"I remembered it from the last time I was at your apartment and I wanted something that was close to home. Dave said that Greek cuisine was really good and since he's a bit of a connoisseur of food, I thought it worth the risk."

Emily grinned as Aaron picked up his fork and poked at the dish in front of him, for all intents looking like it might attack him. She lifted her own fork and took another bite before finally taking pity on him.

"Do you know what that is then?" She pointed her fork at his still untouched dish and smiled. She could tell by the look on his face that he didn't have a clue.

"You'll enjoy it." She poked her chin at Aaron, encouraging him to try a bite. "It's seared and braised chicken with scallions in a lemon wine sauce."

Emily watched with baited breath as he cut the first piece of chicken and brought it to his mouth. His eyes widened and he smiled as he chewed.

Finishing his first bite, there was no hesitation in going after the second one. "This really is good." He gave her a curious look as he continued to eat. "You seem to know a fair bit about the food, since the menu is in Greek I'm assuming you have personal experience with the cuisine?"

She looked out the window for a moment and considered how to respond. She could flippantly say yes and leave it at that, but one of the reasons Hotch gave her for doing this is that she wouldn't have to hide who she was.

He came from a similar background, grew up in the same kind of circles. Maybe she would be able to find a friend in her aloof supervisor that she wouldn't have to pretend that half her life never happened because he didn't get it. Hotch would.

And that was the deciding factor as she decided to take the plunge; generally she didn't share much of her personal history with anyone. But for some reason it felt important that she share this with Hotch… Aaron.

That was going to take some getting used to.

"I spent most of my youth in the middle east, and eastern Europe. So there isn't much about the area that I haven't been exposed to in one way or another. But Greece was always a fond memory for me."

Hotch could sense the importance of what she was saying just by the tone of her voice and put down his fork to give her his full attention.

"My parents took me there for vacation when I was fourteen. It was the last holiday we had as a family. We spent three weeks on a little island called Paros and I think the thing that stuck out most about it was there was no other reason to be there, just spending time together." Not wanting his meal to go cold, Emily picked up her fork and continued to eat, parceling out information between the bites of food, encouraging him to eat as well.

"Normally when we went on vacation it always coincided with some political event or something to do with one of my parents work." She got a wistful look on her face as she remembered. "But this was just us and we fell into every tourist trap and visited all of the places that my parents normally avoided. It was wonderful. As a result Greek food has always been a bit like comfort food to me."

Emily looked away from Hotch and he almost didn't hear her next words. "My parents separated six months later."

Aaron's eyebrows shot up at that. "I didn't know that, they were still living together when I worked with your mother."

She let out an inelegant snort. "You wouldn't. That would have been embarrassing for anyone to have known that the Prentiss' weren't the perfect, happy political family."

"So what is it that you have?" He wanted to distract her from her less than pleasant thoughts and bring back the joy she was showing before.

Understanding what he was doing, she gave him a grateful smile and allowed herself to be distracted from the melancholy direction her thoughts had taken. "This wonderful creation is grilled lamb with white bean skordalia. And remarkably, this is actually the closest I have ever tasted it aside from being in Greece itself."

Emily dove back into her meal and he allowed himself to be distracted by her again, for a moment or two, before turning back to his own dish, allowing the enjoyment of their dinner take the place of conversation. He wasn't fooling himself; he knew how much he had just gained in that few short moments.

Emily Prentiss was not one for sharing very often.

For her part, Emily covertly watched Aaron from under her lashes as he reacted to the taste of his chicken and smiled at the look of appreciation on his face, after that there was no further conversation as they both became immersed in their dinners.

As Aaron was finishing the last of his entree Emily covertly flagged down one of the wait staff and whispered quietly to him, wanting to keep her request a surprise. The waiter darted away before Hotch even realized that he had been there. Emily raised her brow; that was impressive. Either the waiter was that good or the food was she just wasn't sure which yet.

As Aaron leaned back in his chair, he let out a breath at how full he was and placed his napkin down on his now cleaned off plate. Emily glanced over his shoulder and smiled causing him to turn and look.

Their waiter appeared along with a bus boy and cleaned off the table with an efficiency that was impressive. In the place of their finished meal the young man set down a small serving platter and two small glasses before giving a small bow and dashing away again.

He glanced over at Emily and raised a brow at the fact that she was leaning against the table with her arms crossed and looking at him with a look of what could only be called eager anticipation.

The serving platter was set in the center of the table and filled with a dozen small cake-like looking glazed balls, dusted with what appeared to be a light sprinkling of what he guessed was powdered sugar over top. On the side there were two smaller bowls filled with dipping sauce.

One was a deep rich red color, almost like smooth raspberry jam and the other some type of pale cream sauce. He picked up his fork and gave one of the balls a poke before setting his fork down and adopting the same pose as his companion.

"Okay, I'll give. What is it?" He pointed to the whole ensemble, including the drinks.

Aaron had guessed right when her eyes lit up, that this was special and something she wanted to share with him. The thought gave him a warm feeling in his chest, she really was a remarkable woman and someone that he just knew was going to become one of his closest friends.

"They're called Loukoumades."

He gave her a blank look and she grinned with no small amount of pleasure at being able to teach him something for a change… even if it was something as simple as food. Emily took a moment to relish the idea as she thought over how to explain what it was that was in front of him.

"Think of them as being like a donut hole, except there much lighter in texture, softer and less spongy. Then they are glazed in a rich honey sauce. The two dishes are dips that you can have with it. The red one is a super sweet pomegranate preserve and the other one is a tart cheese and cream sauce."

Rather than asking he just pointed to the small port glass resting next to each of them.

"It's a dessert wine from Mavrodaphne. I was actually really surprised to see it on the menu because it's hard to find outside of Greece. It's not as heavy as a port but runs about 15 to 18 percent depending on the year."

She reached out with a single finger and pushed the plate closer to him and watched with eager anticipation as he carefully speared his first one. Unsurprisingly, he chose the cream sauce first and his eyes closed in pleasure at the mixture of tastes. The sweet glaze on the cake and the tart tang of the sauce was a true delight for the pallet.

Emily wanted to cheer at his reaction. This dish was so very special to her and she had been hoping he would enjoy it as much as she did. She loved it so much and had such wonderful memories attached to it, that she even taught herself how to make it at home.

Picking up her own fork she went after the red sauce and dove in, relishing every bite and making the promise to herself that she was going to be back here again and soon.

And perhaps Aaron would come with her when she did.

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><p>Hotch let out a soft groan as the exited the restaurant and figured he ate enough to sustain him for several days. He glanced over at Emily with envy, since she was almost bouncing with energy and didn't seem to be weighted down by the wonderful meal at all.<p>

He had seen her, on more than one occasion; pack away more food than most men he knew and looking over her frame he really had to wonder where the hell she put it.

When he realized how long he had spent "looking at her frame" he shook his head to chase away the thoughts that were trying to work their way into his brain.

"That was totally decadent." He gave her a soft grin while glancing at her from the corner of his eyes.

Distraction… That would work.

She turned to face him, walking backwards so she could look at him clearly. He found that he couldn't help it and started to smile at the enthusiasm in her voice when she spoke about dinner.

"It was, wasn't it? I'm going to make sure to come back here soon. It was wonderful."

Emily moved to walk next to him as they started back towards her apartment. As they came to the section closest to the park, Emily sped up slightly and then stopped dead in front of him almost causing Aaron to run into her.

Hotch quickly surveyed his surroundings when she gasped trying to figure out what was causing that reaction in her.

Emily's eyes lit up and without thinking she spun around, grabbed Hotch's hand and started to tug. Feeling him stiffen up as she pulled on him, she felt her face heat with embarrassment as she dropped his hand in shock.

_What the hell was she thinking? _

She hadn't ever known anyone that was more reserved than Hotch and as best as she could tell he didn't particularly like to be touched… by anyone.

In fact, in the entire time she had known him she had only seen him reach out to one of the team once. When they first found Reid after he had killed Hankle. Other than that Hotch had never touched anyone in her presence, at least not in a way that could be described as friendly.

Hotch was so shocked by her reaction that he didn't know how to react himself. Was he really that unapproachable to the others, to her?

Right now, Emily Prentiss looked like she was about to get a royal dressing down by her supervisor for something as simple as reaching out to him. He felt his heart break a little that he had allowed things to get to this point with his team, that he had come to appear so unapproachable.

It was something that he was going to fix, starting now. He just really wasn't sure how. Emily was staring at the ground and had folded her hands in front of her, twisting her fingers in nervousness.

It wasn't her touch that caused him to stiffen up it was his own suspicious nature. He was looking for the threat that caused her to gasp. It hadn't even occurred to him that it might have been anything else and now he felt like a total heel and he wasn't sure how to fix what had just happened. They had been having such a good time together and now she was uncomfortable and he was at a loss; all because he couldn't control his own paranoia, even while on a date.

Tentatively, he held out his hand to her, hoping she would reach out to him again, so he could show her that she could.

Emily allowed her eyes to meet his and they narrowed slightly as she assessed him. Then she looked back down at his hand before carefully sliding her fingers into his.

His voice was soft and careful when he spoke, hoping that he had successfully mended his slight faux pa. "Show me."

Emily let out a sigh of relief and turned towards the park leading Hotch towards the sounds the caught her attention. As she led him down one of the dimly lit pathways, she tried to let her embarrassment fade. She hadn't meant to grab at him like that but they had been having such a good time and she had been so excited when she first heard the light strains of music that she never even thought about what she was doing before she did it. She just wanted to show him, share this with someone other than a group of strangers that ended up in this park when the music started.

Hotch listened to the soft crunch of the small stones under his feet as they transversed the tree lined pathways to the center of the park. As they moved away from the street the sounds of the city seemed to float away from them, leaving them encased in silence and he finally heard what had drawn her attention from the street… music.

As they slowly walked along, Hotch marveled at the feel of the soft weight of her warm hand encased in his own. He missed this, this kind of open physical affection, far more that he would have thought he would. He gently squeezed her hand and gave her a shy smile when she looked up at him, so grateful for all of the things that she had shown him tonight and the night still wasn't over.

They came to a break in the trees and opened up to a small clearing. All of the pathways intersected in the middle before branching back out to other areas and the rest of the world. There were low light lamps scattered about and the area was full of small benches and picnic tables. Aaron didn't know that this place was here and he had driven past this park dozens of times since moving to D.C. It was like a small oasis in the middle of a bustling city. The trees enshrouded the area giving it a far off, closed in feeling from the rest of the world.

Emily quickly scanned the area and spotted a free bench a short distance away, gently tugging on his hand she pulled him over to it. She slid into the seat, her eyes already drawn the scene in front of her, a look of tender awe on her face. Hotch took his place on the bench beside her, finally releasing her hand and tried to absorb the thing she had brought him to see.

There was an old man, gnarled and grizzly, more than likely homeless, judging by his unkempt appearance, sitting on the bench of one of the picnic tables about twenty feet away from them. He held an old, weathered, but well-loved violin between his chin and shoulder, the bow sliding with practiced ease across the strings as he rocked back and forth. His eyes were closed and you could tell by looking at him that he was in another place as he played the soft haunting melody.

Emily shifted closer to Aaron and spoke in a voice just above a whisper, without ever taking her eyes off the site of the old man and his music. "Just after I moved into the apartment I was out walking one night and heard him playing. Drawn to the sound I found this place and it was just like it is now."

Hotch took a moment to take in his surroundings. Scattered about were dozens of people, resting on wooden benches, lounging on the grass, all enjoying the sounds flowing around the small enclosed park.

"After it was over I was kind of sad because I didn't think I would ever get the opportunity to hear him play again."

Hotch could understand that, having over the years attended a concert or two and this man was easily as good, if not better than most of the people paid to play that he had heard in the past.

Emily turned her head and looked up at Aaron and he was startled by the pleasure in her eyes, over something so simple. He had never met anyone who would have derived this level of enjoyment over something so basic. He found himself relieved by that, that she was so different from most of the people he knew.

"A few weeks later I could hear the music from my balcony and I rushed over. I talked to several of the other people that night and they said during the warmer months he does this, has been doing it for years. No one knows when, he just shows up and starts to play. People from all over the area hear the music and migrate over. He plays for a little while and then leaves."

Hotch turned back to the scene at the same time as Emily and finally spoke for the first time since they headed this way. His voice was just as soft as Emily's had been, seeming to understand that this tranquility should not be disturbed. "Is he homeless?"

She lifted a shoulder negligently, "No one knows for sure but if he is its strange because he won't take money for playing and he never really talks to anyone either."

She fell silent and Aaron decided that anymore questions he had could wait for another time, another day. They both leaned back on the old polished wooden bench and listened to him play. Tonight's choice of music was poignant and sad but at the same time there was something hopeful in it. Instantly, he could understand what would have drawn his companion to this place, and what kept bringing her back.

With all of the horrors that they saw, to find something this pure and beautiful in a place so unexpected was a rare treat in the world they lived.

Hotch glanced over at his companion and was captured by the look on her face. There was no way to describe it. For a moment he was jealous of the fact that she was able to find such simple joy in the things around her. She was so different tonight from the woman that he thought that he knew. He had always seen her as being controlled and composed but this side of her had remained hidden from him, he suspected from all of the others as well, and in all honestly it left him feeling awed and at the same time unsure.

Emily let out a slight shiver and with only a moment's hesitation Aaron slid over, closing the distance between them and wrapped his arm around her, sharing his body heat as they continued to listen to the music. She only tensed for a moment before leaning into his side and allowing her head to come to rest on his shoulder, letting out a deep sigh of contentment.

Hotch glanced around at the people scattered about and thought that even though it had been his intention to take her out and show her something of the city, things she might never have seen in her youth, it was she who gave something to him tonight. Both in her love of Greek food and this peak into one of her private pleasures.

Tightening his arm around her he thought that this wasn't going to be as hard as he thought it would. But the next time he was going to show her something new. This night had been an unexpected role reversal. He was supposed to take her out, show her something new, but in the end it was him that was learning.

He allowed his frame to completely rest on the bench and pushed all other lingering thoughts out of his mind. Aaron was determined for once to just enjoy, both the presence of the woman in his arms and the soft melody floating in the air.

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><p><em><strong>TBC in Chapter Four – Relative Conversation<strong>_

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><p><em>Author's Note: For anyone that is curious, this little old man did exist. There was a small wood park not far from my college and you would often find him playing in the early evening during the summer. I tried to keep him as true as I could; he truly was a wonderful talent and an unexpected one.<em>


	4. Relative Conversations

_**Chapter Four – Relative Conversations**_

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><p>Emily violently shoved her way past the officers that were milling about outside the doorway in an effort to get out of the house, to get away from the smell. She had no idea how the Medical Examiner managed to make it down into the basement, she could hardly make it past the front door. She did her best to repress her urge to gag as she pealed around the side of the building, looking for a moment of privacy so she could finally loose it.<p>

Rancid and decaying, her eyes still burned from the stench.

In all her years on this planet she had never encountered a worse smell and prayed to god that she never would, ever again. In the time she had been with the BAU they had never had a case where decomp was in a small enclosed place like this, where you couldn't get away from it, even for a moment.

As she moved around the side of the building she pressed a hand to her chest hard as she dry heaved. The smell was caught in her nose and try as she might she couldn't escape it. All she wanted to do was crawl into a screaming hot shower and scrub her skin raw to clean off the stench. And of all of the times for her to have a moment like this one, today would be the day.

Ever since dinner last Friday, Hotch had been colder than he had been since her first days on the team. She didn't understand it and she had tried to, but it made no sense. Her eyes watered as she gagged again and she crouched close to the ground, slowly rocking back and forth, hoping to stave off actually getting sick.

She had thought that they had made some real progress. She guessed she was wrong.

Hotch leaned against the wall of the derelict old building and watched passively as Emily gasped for breath. To anyone passing by they would have been startled by the scene, him seeming so closed off and unaffected by the difficulties suffered by his teammate.

Emily had her hand pressed to the wall and bent over at the waist, gasping for breath and while most people would have shown some level of concern, to be honest all Hotch felt at that moment was intense relief.

"So it does get to you." He might have been attempting to be conciliatory but all Emily heard was accusation in his tone. After the last three days it shouldn't have been any kind of surprise, but still a lump rose in her throat at the sound of his voice.

Emily turned incredulous eyes on him before attempting to stand up again, finally giving up as another wave of vertigo overcame her.

"Of course it gets to me! Doesn't it you?" She snapped at him before rolling her eyes and bending back over. "Oh right, of course not."

"What is that supposed to mean?" He frowned at the derision in her voice.

"Never mind Hotch, just go back inside. I'll be fine."

Aaron moved towards her and lowered his voice, "No. Obviously it meant something or you wouldn't have said it."

"Well, what do you expect?" She snapped harshly, "Jesus Christ Hotch, most of the time you're so cold you could give ice cubes frostbite."

As soon as it came out of her mouth, Emily felt her face flush in embarrassment at having said something like that to her _supervisor_. Then annoyance overtook her again. He came out here when she was already feeling vulnerable so if she lost the censor on her mouth for a moment… well, he could just suck it up.

Hotch stepped back as if he had been physically slapped. Is that what they all thought of him? What _she thought of him_? He closed his eyes briefly as he processed how she would have seen things in the last few days. Turned out profilers weren't mind readers after all he thought with a fair amount of self-annoyance.

She was right and he deserved that, especially from her.

"Prentiss…"

Emily flapped a hand at him and tuned him out, not wanting to deal with her turbulent emotions on top of her turbulent stomach. At the moment she had no interest in listening to anything he had to say.

And now when her eyes burned it was for a completely different reason.

Prentiss… he called her Prentiss and that stung more than she cared to admit. They were alone and he still called her Prentiss, even with him being a complete ass the last few days he still called her Emily.

She should have known better than to try and make friends with Aaron Hotchner of all people. It's not like it was any kind of secret that he wasn't all that fond of her, regardless of what he said, he had made that clear to her on more than one occasion.

But when he first extended the olive branch she had been so damn eager to find a way in with their very aloof supervisor that she had ignored what her logical mind was telling her and followed what her heart wanted. To finally be _accepted_ by him, to become _one of his_ inner circle. The way he was with Dave or JJ.

She was doing her best to try and lock down what she was feeling but having half of her mind focused on the intense lingering, horrible smell was making it next to impossible. She felt her breathing hitch and wished at that moment that he would just _go away_!

Hotch closed his eyes and would have given anything at that moment to have kicked his own ass for the way that he had treated her. He heard her breathing change, knew she was upset and hurt. The very _moment_ that she had lashed out at him he saw what he had done and the way that she was going to see it.

He hadn't meant to and at some point he was going to have to suck up his pride and tell her what was going on in his mind, or all of the bridges he had made with her during their dinner were going to come tumbling down.

But now was not the time and this certainly wasn't the place.

Aaron moved forward and grasped her upper arm pulling her up from the position she was in. She gasped hard at the change in altitude before pressing her back against the wall and closing her eyes, trying her hardest to take slow steady breaths.

Hotch reached into his suit pocket and dug out a small compact container. He let go of her long enough to twist the top off, carefully he cupped the back of her head tipping it back slightly before waiving the small container under her nose.

She scrunched up her eyes tightly. "What the hell…"

"Just hold still and breath. I promise it'll help." He made an effort to lose the hard tone in his voice and hoped that she would accept his help.

Emily breathed in several times and when her color started to return to normal he pulled the tube away. Her eyes fluttered open and she wanted to cry again. _There he was_, the man she had dinner with, the one who had been missing all week.

"Thank you." She glanced down at the container in shock. Her eyes widened and her voice incredulous when she spoke. "Vicks Vapor Rub? That's your trick?"

"The stuff is completely overpowering and will cover the smell of just about anything." He reluctantly let go of the back of her neck and twisted the cap back on before returning it to his pocket. "And yes, it gets to me. One of the first training agents I worked with at the BAU taught me that trick."

He looked back at her before carefully reaching out and hooking a single finger around one of hers, making sure that their hands stayed out of view. With as many agents and local officers as there were roaming around, he didn't dare get any closer than this. But looking into her sad eyes he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and apologize over and over again until that look went away and knew somehow that the slight physical touch would help in a way.

He really kind of screwed up and that was after deciding that this was a friendship that he wanted to have, all because she changed things in his well-ordered world.

He dropped his head and his tone of voice, "I'm sorry. That's all I can say right now but after we get everything here wrapped up how about you and I get a drink and I'll try to explain why I've been such an ass."

Emily smiled and slipped her hand completely into his, giving it a short squeeze before letting go. She wondered if this really was worth it but the slightly hopeful look in his eyes made the decision for her. She knew this wasn't going to be the simplest thing she had ever done, even at the best of times Hotch was an incredibly complex man. She would just have to see what he said.

"Okay. We can do that." She glanced back towards the front of the house and he held up his hand to forestall her.

"You stay here and get a little more air, come find me before you head back in and get some Vicks." He stepped back from her and turned towards the front of the house. "Right now I have to go and find Reid, he looked worse than you and he was heading the other way."

She grinned as Hotch made his way around the front of the house.

* * *

><p>Aaron pulled the large glass door to the hotel open and almost groaned out loud at how heavy it felt. He couldn't remember the last time he was this tired and all he really wanted to do right now was fall into bed… fully clothed. He really was that tired.<p>

Over two hours ago, when his phone had rung and he saw the name on the caller display, he quietly cursed and sent the team back to the hotel to get some sleep. That was at 8:00 and he knew that even after he managed to get Strauss off the phone he still had about an hour worth of work to do before he could call it a night. Hotch had just known it wasn't going to be a short call.

He was right about that. She had rambled on for an extended period of time about things that were of little or no consequence, and things that he could do nothing about till he was back at the office. Sometimes he wondered if she did it just so he would finally snap, tell her off, and she could bring him up with an insubordination complaint to OPR.

As he crossed the foyer he spotted a dark head sitting at a small out of the way table just inside the doorway to the bar. He felt his heart leap in his chest and a slight smile cross his lips at the thought that she might have been waiting for him to come back to the hotel. They had agree to talk so perhaps that was the reason for her to be awake at 11:00 at night when they had all been up since about three in the morning.

Emily Prentiss sat curled up in one of the ornate lounging chairs, nursing a drink and watching the vehicles passing on the street just outside floor to ceiling windows that lined the side of the lounge. As much as he would have loved to get upstairs and get some sleep, this conversation couldn't wait and was, in his mind at least, far more important.

Aaron crossed the floor and headed over to the small darkened table taking in the sight of his friend sitting there. She had been upstairs already, she was in different clothes than before and she had taken her make up off, the ends of her hair still curling from the moisture that remained from her shower.

It was another new side to her. He was so used to Emily put together and almost polished. He could count on the fingers of one hand the times he had seen her when she wasn't. This look was intimate and familiar and gave him some hope that he could fix the mess that he had made of things.

"Hey Hotch." Emily's voice was soft and she never looked away from the window, he might have been surprised but for his reflection in the glass. Noting the look on his face in the window, he did his best to relax. Obviously, Erin Strauss had annoyed him more than normal.

Emily watched him in the window and was surprised when he took the seat next to her, and dropped his brief case in the one across the table, the seat she had assumed he would take. That was more than okay with her; she needed that closeness at the moment, still feeling unsettled by the contents of the house that afternoon. For some reason since coming back to the hotel she felt a little lonelier than she normally did. It was what drove her out of her room and into the bar to wait for him to come back from the station house.

Hotch looked up as the waitress approached the table. "I'll have a scotch please." He reached over and tapped the edge of her glass. "Would you like another?"

Emily glanced down at her half full tumbler and gave him a half smile and a small shake of her head. That there, just told her that this was Aaron she was sitting there with, not Agent Hotchner, which honestly, after the last few days was no small bit of a relief.

As the server moved off Aaron leaned back and let out a sigh, relieved to finally be able to relax. He felt a calm and sense of peace that he hadn't experienced in over a week. Just sitting in Emily's presence, away from the demands of their job, soothed him in ways that he couldn't begin to explain and didn't really understand. In the back of his mind he was so angry with himself, not only for what he had put her through but for the fact that if he hadn't been so focused on controlling his own emotional state he could have had this all week. And this was a week that he could have used the respite.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced sideways at Emily, trying to gage her mood and for the first time in months, found that he wasn't able to. Now that he was sitting here with her, he honestly had no idea where to start.

Emily noticed his discomfort and decided that it would be simpler if she got the ball rolling, as it were. "You've been bothered the last few days."

Her voice was soft and comforting making it easier for him to relax into the conversation. Perhaps this wouldn't be as hard as he thought because while her body was closed off her voice had that same warmth that it had a dinner. Aaron paused for a moment and his voice was whisper soft when he finally spoke. "Yes."

"Why, what changed?" There was none of the censure in her voice that he expected, especially after the way she pasted him that afternoon, just open curiosity.

"Nothing did, everything did."

"Start making sense Aaron." Oops. Now she was sounding annoyed, that wouldn't do.

"I found myself Monday morning spending more time watching the door for you to arrive than I did working on the brief for the director that was on my desk."

Emily raised an eyebrow at that, both at the statement and the fact that he sounded so embarrassed by it. Did he honestly think that he shouldn't be allowed to drift off once and a while. He was human after all, and they all did it from time to time.

"So, what… you decided that I was to blame and that I needed to be punished?"

"No, Emily…" Guilt welled up inside of him as he truly realized for the first time how this might have seemed to her.

He leaned back again as the waitress arrived and passed him his drink. He gave the woman a quiet 'thanks', he lifted the glass to his lips as she walked away. Aaron enjoyed the slow burn of the scotch as it slid down his throat and tried to figure out how to verbalize his feelings. Something he, admittedly, wasn't very good at most of the time. He set the glass down on the table and turned it in his fingers knowing in the end that he was simply stalling.

How much to tell her? Would she even understand?

He pushed the glass away and leaned his forearms on the table, moving just that little bit closer to her, seeking that same comfort he felt when he first sat down. "I'm rather solitary in my professional life and not much better in my personal."

"So I've noticed." she snarked back at him.

"Emily…"

"Aaron…"

He let out an annoyed sigh. She wasn't going to make this easy on him. But honestly with how he had acted over the last few days he didn't deserve to have this easy.

He leaned forward again, pulling his chair a little closer, so that their arms were touching and his face was closer to hers. He lowered the tone and cadence of his voice, attempting to impress on her how important this conversation was to him and this was hard enough, without the distance she was trying to create.

"When I first suggested this I didn't bank on… liking you, quite as much as I do."

She didn't really know how to take a statement like that. What did he mean by 'liking her'? Wasn't that kind of the idea? She pushed that thought away and attempted to focus on the issue at hand.

"So what, you were trying to push me away?" Her voice was curious but held a note of censure at the thought that he would do that to her.

"No Emily. It was never anything that deliberate." He frowned and glanced out the window next to her. "I have always maintained a strict separation between my work life and my personal life and I didn't think I would have any trouble separating them in this instance." He turned back to her and met her eyes with an earnest expression on his face.

"I found myself distracted, unfocused. It's not something I generally have to worry about, and in an effort to find the focus I normally have I think I was unconsciously trying to remove the distraction." When he finished speaking he watched her carefully, as she absorbed the things he was telling her, trying to gage how she was going to respond. Hoping, almost desperately that she would understand, because now that he had found this friendship with her, he was terrified of losing it.

He had to consciously remember to breathe as he waited for her response, praying that he hadn't blown this because he really enjoyed the time he had spent with her so far and if he was honest, he enjoyed how relaxed he felt in her presence.

Emily was quiet for a long moment as she considered what he said. "I'm not sure how I'm supposed to respond to that."

Aaron leaned forward and rested his hand gently on hers, giving her cool fingers some of his own warmth and smiled softly. For even if she didn't know what to say, the tone of her voice said that she at least understood and that was all he needed to make things right.

"I once heard Garcia say that you were like a bright light that drew people to you, without pretense and without effort." His voice deepened as he spoke, showing a level of affection that surprised her a little. "She's right you know, and I found myself caught up in that. I didn't anticipate the way that I would react. I promise to you Emily, I won't let it happen again."

She gave a deep sigh and thought back to the dinner that they had shared less than a week ago. She thought about how much fun she had and the rampant desire to get to know the man that she had always seen as cold and repressed. The one man she was learning really wasn't either of those things. She had been so terribly shocked to find that he wasn't.

When Aaron Hotchner wasn't at work, wasn't Unit Chief and Supervisory Special Agent, he was engaging and funny and charming and a hundred other adjectives that sprung to mind. But at the same time she didn't know if she could go through this on a regular basis. She was cognizant of the fact that this was harder for him that it was for her.

He had always held himself apart from the others, standing in the center of the team but still separate from them. Now he was reaching out. But what she didn't understand is why he was reaching out to her of all people.

"Okay." She nodded her head slowly. "But please, next time you feel the need to pull away could you not do it while lashing out at me. I know this is different, but you have to remember that this is different for both of us."

"I know and I do understand that. Again, I'm sorry and I'll try not to let it happen again."

"That's all I can ask." She gave him a soft smile before picking her drink back up.

He leaned back and sipped at the rest of his drink and as he looked at Emily who was once again turned to face the window. He couldn't help but to think that somehow they had made some kind of progress between them tonight.

He didn't know how or what but in the last few minutes he had found a level of comfort with her that he hadn't felt in years.

Aaron looked down at the table and smile. He hadn't even let go of her hand.

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: Hotch always seemed to stand apart from of the others on the show, and it seemed to me that if his professional and personal lives started to mesh that he just might run the other way. This was kind of a way to show that. That it would be hard for someone so driven and focused to find that something personal was intruding on his professional life and because it's Emily it would make it even more difficult as she's now a part of both…<em>

_Hey, any of you catch the not so subtle nod to Silence Of The Lambs in there?_

_Again, I hope you enjoyed, feel free to tell me what you think._

_Bless, BW _

* * *

><p><em><strong>TBC in Chapter Five – A Day At The Races<strong>_


	5. A Day At The Races

_**Chapter Five – A Day At The Races**_

* * *

><p><em>Little Author's Note: So here we have date number two… Been a day or two coming but I finally got it up. Authenticity Note: I live in Western Canada… That being said I have never seen Washington or the Dragon Boat Races that they have there. The bits and pieces from this are from the ones we have in my City and the pictures I have seen on line. So yeah… creative license was used.<em>

* * *

><p>Hotch glanced at the phone before striding over and picking it up. He stared at it for a couple of seconds before putting it back down again and letting out a huff of annoyance. He was beginning to feel like a fourteen year old boy. He glared at the phone before picking it back up again, fiddling with it for a minute or two before finally digging up the courage to dial her number.<p>

The last date had gone so well there was no reason for him to be feeling nervous about this one but at the same time he was. This would be introducing Prentiss… Or Emily rather, to a part of his life that he didn't share with people at work.

He had always worked so hard to maintain that distance between home and work and now that line was blurring, with this new friendship he was deliberately blurring it. And besides that, things were still a little strained between the two of them. Perhaps this would help to improve that, if he opened himself up, the way that she had done with him.

_He had_ promised her that he wouldn't push her away. Even if the words were unspoken the sentiment was still there. A sentiment he resolved not to break.

But at the same time, this was something he _wanted_ to share with her. She had shown him such enjoyment the last time they were out and it was so completely unexpected. It was just supposed to be a simple dinner. Just something for them to get used to one another away from work, without that buffer between them and it turned into so much more. He got to see a side of Emily that he didn't know existed and he wanted to share that same feeling with her and by extension learn more about this woman he was beginning to see that he didn't know, not really.

He quickly dialed her number and held the phone up to his ear. Eyes widening, he felt a bit like an idiot, what if she had plans already? He was about to hang up when he heard her breathless voice on the other end. Perhaps he should have called her sooner, given her more warning? But then again, this was a spur of the moment idea.

"Prentiss," she said on panted breaths.

He could hear the trepidation in her voice and was tempted to curse. "It's Hotch."

"So the caller I.D. says." Her voice was wary and he knew it was because they were on stand down for the weekend. She was worried that they were getting pulled back in.

"Are you busy today?" He tried his best to make himself relax, to sound less foreboding, knowing that his tone would only make things worse.

"No…" came her hesitant reply.

Aaron let out a sigh of relief at that, he had honestly been afraid that she might already have plans for the day. "I want to take you somewhere."

He could almost hear the smile in her voice and felt himself relax. "Date number two?"

"Yes. Can you be ready in an hour?"

"Sure. Where are we going?" Such a change, her voice was buoyant, almost excited.

"It's a surprise." He let out a soft smile at her annoyed groan. "Just dress casual and comfortable. Bring a warm jacket because we are going to be outside and be prepared to be gone all day."

Now that she had said yes, he held the phone between his chin and shoulder and started to move around the apartment; packing up the things they would need for the day, things to make them both more comfortable.

Her voice came out on a whine. "Hotch, I hate surprises."

"You lie. I'll see you soon." He chuckled at the muttering he could hear from the other end of the line as he hung up the phone.

Maybe she wasn't still upset with him, as he had begun to suspect. Perhaps she was having the same problem he did, not know how to behave after their recent… issue?

He firmly put that thought out of his mind. It was in the past now and all they could do is move forward.

With a bounce in his step he grabbed his small bag, stuffing in all of the things he had already collected and started to gather the rest. A slight panicky feeling started to set in. He only had an hour… why hadn't he called her sooner?

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes left.<p>

She was having a moment, one of _those _moments.

Emily wandered about her apartment aimlessly, feeling completely wrong footed and it was all Hotch's fault. First he came to her with this proposed idea and she reluctantly agreed, then they had dinner and she found that she liked him, quite a bit in fact. Then he turned into a total cold fish, overnight no less.

Now she was going out with him again, but didn't know where and he wouldn't tell her.

Yep, she was having a moment.

Standing in her apartment doorway, she juggled her jacket and a small bag with a few things thrown in for good measure. A bottle of water, a pair of warmer pants, bug spray… She had no idea what she needed the bug spray for but she was glad it was there none the less. But if she needed anything else, she had no idea because he wouldn't tell her where they were going… evasive.

Her eyes crinkled at the thought, and that was just the way Hotch was.

She sighed and set the alarm before heading out the door, as she turned the lock she wondered again if this was a good idea. She knew that she said that she understood and she did but did she really want to open herself up for this?

Because one thing she had learned in the last week was that she might have issues but apparently Aaron Hotchner did too. Did she really want to have to deal with his issues on top of her own?

She tipped her head as she looked at her face in the polished metal of the elevator door. Yep, she was pretty sure this was worth it. She had seen something in him the other night and she wanted to see more of it.

She grimaced as she stepped off the elevator and saw who was sitting at the security desk. She rushed across the entry way and was half tempted to flip off the arrogant brat. The way he said her name made her hair stand on end. _Misssss_ _Prentiss_. He thought he was being flirty and as she blew through the doors she glanced at him… he had to be about fifteen years younger than her.

She missed Frank on the days that he was off. He wasn't much as far as security went, but he was kind and sort of grandfatherly and having retired from the police force several years before, if someone arrived in the building he didn't know he behaved the way he was supposed to.

He didn't get distracted by every single woman who walked through the doorway.

Emily shook her head and pushed the kid out of her mind. Frank would be back tomorrow and she would have to remember to bring him a cup of her special coffee. She leaned against the sun warmed brink on the outside of the building as Hotch pulled around the corner and she felt herself let out the first genuine smile of the day.

* * *

><p>Hotch opened Emily's door and waited for her to step out before locking up the car and setting the alarm. He waited for her to get herself situated before heading for the back of the car and their bags.<p>

Emily looked at all of the cars parked on the side of the street and raised an eyebrow at him. She really had to wonder where he was taking her. There were a lot of vehicles around and people walking towards the river but there was no indication as to where it was that everyone was going, or what they would be doing when they got there.

Hotch grinned at her as he opened the trunk and pulled their bags out. "I'm still not telling you Emily so you can stop looking at me like that."

She huffed at him but the sting was taken away by the smile on her face. He held out a hand to her, waiting for her to take it.

It really was sad how much he enjoyed touching her.

His lifted their bags up onto his shoulder and gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry; it's a bit of a walk from here."

She shrugged her shoulders and matched his brisk pace. "That's okay. It's a beautiful morning. I don't mind."

Emily looked down at their joined hands and allowed her fingers to lace through his as they walked, feeling her heart leap as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. When he glanced at her, almost looking shy, she gave him a bright smile and they headed off down the street together.

The trees that lined the park opened up into a large field and Emily was tempted to gawk at the number of tents filling the small area. Washington was well known for its gatherings but in all of years in the political world she hadn't ever seen anything like this.

She had been to street fairs, political rallies, fundraising drives, cultural events, but never all together in the same place.

As she gazed around the area she spotted a large outdoor stage that was being set up for performances later in the day. There were several tents from political and lobby groups. Off to the north was an entire section dedicated to what appeared to be food vendors and off to her right was what looked like miles of little family run booths selling various cultural nick-knacks.

And from all of this, she still had no idea what it was they were there for.

Emily felt her fingers slipping from Hotch's and he gripped her hand tighter, pulling her into his side, wrapping a strong arm around her as he stood up on his toes, looking over the crowds of people milling about.

He was obviously looking for someone but she had no idea who.

While he was distracted in his hunt for his unknown person she slipped out from under his arm and wandered over to one of the nearby tents. There was a young boy and his mother setting up displays that held small pieces of handmade jade jewelry. She glanced back at Hotch and shook her head with a small smile on her face, watching as he made his way through the crowd to another man that was waving at him.

That man was almost too focused for his own good; he never even noticed that she slipped away from him. She was entirely certain she was going to get a lecture for that at some point but the sight of all of the jade being laid out was too much to resist.

He would find her when he wanted to, till then…

* * *

><p>Hotch stood back and watched as Emily talked with the young boy and his mother about the small bits of jewelry that she was looking at. He really didn't want to disturb her but they had been watching her for the last five minutes and she had yet to look up.<p>

He called her voice softly and waited.

Seriously, he didn't think he had ever met anyone more focused than Emily Prentiss.

He quietly made his way over to her and rested his hand on the small of her back, trying to draw her attention without interrupting her.

It didn't work.

"Hotch!" Emily sucked in a surprised breath.

God, he loved doing that to her. "Sorry, but you were so intent that you didn't hear me."

She pursed her lips and gave him a teasing glare, knowing better than anyone that even though he said it, there was no apology in Hotch's voice.

"That's okay. You just save me from spending far more than I should." She turned back to the young boy and handed him some money before selecting a small jade pendant that was shaped to look like a rabbit.

She traced the small figure with a finger before slipping it in the little box the boy gave her and tucking it safely away in the bottom of her bag. As she turned to look at Aaron, she noticed for the first time, someone standing with him.

She moved closer and tried to place him, sure that she should know who he was but couldn't pin down the memory. He had an open and unassuming face, which in her mind ruled out politics and the FBI. Aaron held out a hand to her, pulling her closer and causing her to smile.

He really was quite tactile when he got used to it.

"Emily, this is Eric Tsang, a friend of mine from law school." Emily turned the name over in her mind over and over, trying to place its familiarity. When she finally got it her eyes widened briefly in surprise. "You're on the D.C. Circuit Court."

Although Eric showed almost no outward signs, she could tell he was shocked at the fact that she recognized his name. Out of all of the judges he was one of the least known and admittedly because he was also one of the younger members.

He held out a hand to her and gave her a friendly smile. "Yes."

"Emily Prentiss." She accepted his outreached hand and felt her own in a firm warm grip. She smiled softly because she was sure this was a man that she would like.

Now he showed some amount of shock as he placed her name. "As in Gordon Prentiss?"

"Yes, he was my father." When Emily's voice softened in sadness, Eric gave her a soft commiserating smile.

The three of them turned and headed down the path of tents talking softly as they moved and Emily doing her best not to get distracted.

"I met him when I was still a trial lawyer. I believe at the time he was still working as an advocate for Children's Rights here in D.C."

She grinned at the thought of the one thing that her and her father had in common. "Yes, it was his passion. He spoke of you a few times before he passed away."

Eric trailed off as he remembered his old friend and Emily did her best to try and fill the silence she feared would become uncomfortable.

"So… Hotch still hasn't told me what we are here for. Do you think I could perhaps ask you to enlighten me?"

"It's the annual dragon boat races."

"What's dragon boat racing?" She asked with a furrowed brow.

"It's similar to sculling but with much more pageantry involved in the presentation, both in the boats and the following festivities." Eric swept out his arm to encompass all of the tents and pavilions scattered about the area.

"Eric is on one of the teams. He was a sculler back in school."

He gave a sheepish grin at that. "I'm far too old for sculling now, but I still help out where I can."

When Emily looked at him in askance he elaborated. "I'm in the coxswain position."

"He sits at the front of the boat and yells at everyone." Hotch grinned when it became obvious that she didn't know what that meant. Eric tended to do that when he got started talking about his boats.

"Oh, so it would be a position you would be good at." She blinked at him with an innocent blank look and he stood there for a moment, completely dumbfounded till he saw the corner of her lip twitch.

"Yes, very funny Prentiss." Emily was going to chastise him on the use of her last name till she spotted the smile he was trying his best to repress.

They all turned at the sound of a woman yelling for Eric and watched as a big smile crossed his face. Emily was fairly sure at that point that an explosion could have gone off and he wouldn't have noticed.

Without thought Eric started off at a brisk pace, yelling back over his shoulder, "See you at the pits."

"That's Linny, his wife." Hotch leaned down and whispered to her. "Come on, let's go and find something to keep us busy."

She grinned at him and they set off together to check out the pavilions set up along the same path Eric had taken moments ago.

* * *

><p>Hotch smiled softly as Emily was once again distracted by one of the booths that lined the area. About every five feet she would let go of his hand, wander off and then come back a few minutes later with a new trinket and smile gently as she slipped her hand back to his own causing his heart to flutter at the contact.<p>

But at the rate they were going they were never going to get down to the starting area and he had gotten permission from Eric to go into the restricted area so that Emily could see the boats up close as they were being loaded into the water. As impressive as they were in the water, up close they were magnificent. Each one a work of art in its own right and the boat the Eric teamed with was one of the best.

The detail that had gone into the artistry of the head and tail was incredible with each scale actually detailed in sharp colors and shaded in such a way to make them stand out in relief, making them appear to have depth even though they were painted onto solid flat wood. But it was only something you could truly appreciate if you got to see it up close.

Which they would be able to do if Emily stopped getting so distracted.

He slowly moved over to where she was kneeling. She had gone over there several minutes ago and had yet to look back at him. As he got closer he could hear the soft tones of her voice as she talked with a young girl and an old woman.

Emily stood hunched over slightly with her head tipped to the side and listened carefully to what the older woman was saying and watched her lips move, she asked the young girl if she could repeat what was said and again listened but this time her lips moved along with the older woman.

Hotch crossed his arms over his chest and watch intently at what was going on. As they talked Emily would mouth certain words and ask for clarification on others and by the end they were all laughing.

When Emily finally spoke he was stunned. It was hesitant but sounded clear and you couldn't tell with a layman's ear that she was anything other than fluent.

Now he understood what she had been doing at all of the stalls, for she spent far more time than the money she spent justified. She would come away with small trinkets, a bracelet, a small turtle figurine but nothing that would have caused the length of time she was spending there.

She was teaching herself how to speak Mandarin.

As she moved over to him she noticed the look on his face and blushed deeply. "Sorry. I can't help myself."

His voice showed nothing but open curiosity. "How do you do that?"

"I don't know really." She shrugged her shoulders as Hotch once again took her hand, attempting to lead her away. "I've always had a gift for languages."

"Why are you with the FBI? Why aren't you working as an interpreter for Interpol or the U.N.?" Where the last time she had gotten uncomfortable when he questioned her vocation, she was getting to know him well enough now to see that he was just curious.

"I wanted profiling, to learn from you and Gideon." Hotch tucked that thought into the back of his mind, that she had been aware of who he was for that long, beyond working for the Ambassador.

"You mean you came to the FBI with this job in mind?"

"Yes."

His brows rose in surprise but there was a new look of understanding. "Well, that explains why you were so intent that day in my office."

She shrugged again, looking away, praying he would move on to something else. She wasn't quite ready to have this discussion with him yet.

"How many languages to you speak?" Well, to anything but that.

"I speak five fluently, although I'm passible enough with about a half dozen others. By the end of today, I should be able to add this to the list."

She noticed the slightly awestruck look on his face and had to look away in embarrassment. This wasn't something she talked about often and was honestly kind of shy about it.

It was one of the many reasons she had trouble in relationships. She had found that most men were intimidated by it. She had more than once been accused of being an uptight snob or a showoff.

"How many can you read?" He pulled on her hand to get her to stop moving as he asked.

She shifted from foot to foot, looking anywhere else but at him. "Can we talk about something else please?"

Hotch looked over at her with a frown and had to wonder what caused the sudden change in her mood. He wanted to know but he could tell by the look on her face that she wasn't going to budge. He would let it drop for now but he wanted to make sure that she knew they were going to talk about this again.

And whatever it was that caused her to become uncomfortable.

The thought that she might be upset by their conversation bothered him in a way that he didn't expect. Granted, he didn't like the fact that she wasn't comfortable enough with him to talk about it but at the same time he understood that. They were still feeling out this new friendship of theirs. What got to him the most was the idea that someone in her past made her _feel_ the need to be uncomfortable.

"Okay. I'll drop it but we're going to talk about this again."

She nodded her head in resignation. She knew that he wouldn't let it go but the reprieve made her feel better. She somehow suspected that having a friend in Aaron Hotchner meant that having secrets from him would be rare.

They started towards the loading area and she wished she could think of something that would breach the distance between the two of them but she was at a loss. Hotch finally managed what she wasn't able to do.

"So, what was it that you said to that woman that caused her to laugh?"

Emily blushed again and scratched the side of her nose but at least this time the blush wasn't from discomfort but from humor.

"I think I might have asked her if I could burp her turtle."

Hotch paused and goggled at her. "What were you trying to say?"

Emily laughed lightly as she started ahead of him. He had to jog to catch up and she never did answer the question.

* * *

><p>Never before had Hotch enjoyed one of the boat races so much. Emily was like a child at the fair, her excitement almost uncontainable. She moved from one thing to the next, almost without stopping, oohing and ahhing over each new thing she came across.<p>

Hotch watched her from a distance as she moved through the stalls chatting with the vendors. This was what he had wanted most when he first suggested the idea to Emily. Here was a friend that understood the job, that didn't have any expectations of who he should be; that he could just relax with and forget work for a while.

A part of him had worried that they wouldn't be able to leave the job behind when they were out. It was such a large part of who they were, but he was thrilled to see that he was wrong. Other than her making some veiled threats under her breath, muttering as she walked away, when a call came from the office, work stayed far away.

In fact while he was explaining the races to her, the history and the different teams and boats that she saw, work was the farthest thing from his mind. He just hoped that it was the same for her, that he was able to provide her with the same outlet he was finding.

When the time for the race finally came they strolled their way the half mile to the end point. Several times, with a smile on his face, he had to grip her hand and pull her away from whatever thing it was she was heading for. They stood together at the finish line and she hollered and cheered as if it was one of her own boats in the race.

In the end he wasn't even sure what it was she was cheering for.

But at least she was having a good time.

They had gotten dinner from one of the stalls and parked themselves on the blanket he had stashed in his back pack and shared from each other's cartons, picking at his bits of Lo Mein and him sneaking bits of her Kung Pow Chicken.

And through it all they talked.

He discovered that Asia was one of the few places she had never been to and had a desperate longing to see. That today's date had only intensified that desire as she moved about talking to the families that were always present.

In returned he shared some of his time at school. How Eric and he had become friends and his love of the boat racing even though he had no desire or aptitude to participate himself. After dinner was over they moved to the staging area and watched the awards presentations, curled up on the grass with Eric's family.

As the sun started to set Hotch draped the blanket around her shoulders and headed off with Eric to the stalls nearby in an effort to find coffee and hot chocolate as they waited for the fireworks to start.

Eric leaned against the booth as they waited for their order and tipped his chin back the way they came. "She's remarkable."

"Emily?" _Oh, that's it Aaron, play dumb he thought. It won't stop Eric._ "She is."

He faced Hotch and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's good to see you out; it's been far too long."

"I know. I just got wrapped up in everything and the time passed so fast that I didn't realize how much." Aaron reached out and ran his finger along a crack in the counter.

"She's good for you." Eric said with a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Eric…" There was a note of warning in Hotch's voice that the other man didn't miss.

Eric snorted and gave him an amused look. "I'm not one of your Agents, Aaron and you haven't ever been able to intimidate me with that look."

Hotch let out a sigh before offering his friend a half smile. "I told you, she's just a friend."

"And why is that?"

For a moment he was stunned by the question, mostly because he didn't have an appropriate answer prepared for it. He hadn't, in all honesty, given it any real thought before. She was just… Prentiss, for so long and it never seemed like a viable option.

Hotch opted for the easy out, shrugging his shoulders. "We work together. And I just got divorced."

"Your point being what exactly Aaron?" He knew that there was no way that Eric was going to leave this alone. The only person he knew who would doggedly meddle in other people's lives more was Rossi, and that was saying something.

Hotch let out a huff of annoyance because this should have been obvious. "I'm not ready to get involved with anyone, let alone what could potentially be an extremely messy affair with one of my own agents."

Hotch grabbed Emily's hot chocolate and his own dark roast coffee before turning back to the place everyone was waiting. He was feeling relatively annoyed with his old friend, although he couldn't really point out why. It was a reasonable question but still, for some reason it wasn't one that he had been expecting.

As he made is way closer to where he left the others sitting he paused for Eric to catch up to him. Eric ambled his way over and looked a little sheepish.

"I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have pushed; it's just that I haven't seen you this relaxed in years and…"

"It's okay, I just…" Hotch turned his head and what he saw stopped him in his tracks.

Emily was exactly where he had left her but the Chinese family from earlier was parked all around her. She was gently rocking back and forth with a small toddler in her lap while attempting to carry on a broken conversation with the old woman from before.

She threw back her head and laughed and the change in her appearance was so startling that he found himself unable to look away, but unable to move forward.

"And that look on your face is what exactly… a passing high from 1989? You're just friends my ass." Eric snickered under his breath and kept moving.

His friends comment caused him to finally focus on something other than the woman he was on a 'date' with and scowl. He let out a short huff and headed for her, plunking down on the ground next to her. As her fingers brushed his own he forgot everything else, Eric and his teasing, the people around him and the reasons why they were here in the first place.

For several minutes all he did was watch the way she interacted with the family around her, attempting to introduce him in the bits and pieces of the language she had managed to pick up so far.

Emily was so intent on the conversations going on around her that she missed the setup of the last performance of the night. But once it started it was all she could focus on, she let out a soft gasp as the first few drum rolls started. She reached out and clutched at Aaron's forearm, holding him in a death grip.

He tried to focus on the drummers but kept finding his eyes shifting back to Emily. She had the biggest smile he had ever seen on her and she stared with wide eyed wonder at the stage. "That's incredible; you can actually feel it vibrating through your bones!"

Hotch smiled and placed one of his hands over top of hers and completely ignored the performance on the tent stage in favor of watching her reactions. This year the group of Japanese drummers they had performing had seven members and the ground seriously vibrated with the percussion beat.

It didn't take long before her and the baby where both bouncing to the driving beat of the drums. Her eyes trained on the action on the stage as she watched the steady, fluid movements of each of the drummers playing off of one another, their performance flawless.

As the performers finished off their last drum set she bounced in place on the ground, releasing his arm only long enough to point at the stage, unmistakable yearning coloring her voice. "I want to learn how to do that."

He laughed lowly and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as the fireworks started to light up the night sky. Aaron figured that he managed to do what he set out to do. He gave her something new, just as she had him the other night. And for any discomfort he had felt at opening up his private world had been more than worth it in the end.

For as tentative as they both were to this arrangement when he first suggested it, all and all it seemed to be going fairly well. Granted there had been a small hiccup along the way but he gave himself a mental pat on the back for the idea.

Even though the thought in the back of his mind from that first day, lingered, he really hoped that this didn't find a way to blow up in his face.

* * *

><p>It was dark and well after midnight when they finally managed to tear themselves away from the other people in their small group and head back to the car. Hotch reached out a hand and caught Emily as she started to slip, steadying her as she stepped over a log at the side of the road and finally asked the question that was pressing on his mind.<p>

"So… How am I doing?" His voice was slightly tentative and he couldn't admit to her how much her answer meant to him.

Emily looked at him in askance for a moment before she caught onto his intent with the question. "Well, this is easily one of the top five dates I have ever been on." She gave him a slightly goofy smile at that. "Although, given my score card, I'm not sure that is much of an endorsement but I think you are doing just fine."

"You had a good time tonight?" He felt like he was fishing now, but really he wanted to hear her enthusiasm and excitement that she had been showing all day.

"Are you kidding me?" When he shook his head she started off and he had to smile at how animated and excited she became.

All the way back to the car, Emily talked about everything that they did from the moment they arrived, as if he hadn't been there with her the whole time. He could remember times in the past when something like this would have bothered him, where he would have rather had the silence, instead of the constant chatter. But something was different with Emily. Somehow he was able to see the world in a new way, things that he thought he knew, things he thought he understood, became something so much more.

Aaron delighted in her exuberance over the people, the language, and the races, everything she had seen and done. She was magical and if he had his way, he would be seeing her like this as often as possible in the future.

He nodded his head and made the appropriate noises to each of her comments but he was more than content to let her ramble on in the most adorable fashion he had ever seen.

As he opened her car door for her, she finally stopped for breath and gave him a shy smile because of her constant chatter. She glanced up at him and there was a lingering softness in her face that he'd never seen before.

In that moment he was caught by her and he began to understand what he had done, where this was going to go with them. And where he would have expected fear or at least apprehension, all he felt was calm acceptance.

She reached out and gripped his hand with her own. "Thank you Aaron, for this."

Rather than let her go, he held on and handed her down into her seat. As he closed the door he grinned. Yep, he did good tonight.

As he reached forward to start the car he spotted something new on his dash and she gave him a slightly sheepish look but there was absolutely no remorse. A small golden dog was affixed to his dash, crouched over as if to play, its tail high in the air and wiggling with the vibrations of the car.

Understanding of the human spirit… that's what she had told him dogs meant. It seemed fitting for the two of them.

Hotch shook his head lightly with a small grin on his face as he pulled out into traffic.

Now he just had to think up something that would top this.

* * *

><p><strong><em>TBC in Chapter Six – Knowing You, Knowing Me<em>**


	6. Knowing You, Knowing Me

_**Chapter Six – Knowing You, Knowing Me**_

* * *

><p><em>Author's Note: For any of your rereading now that the revisions are going up, there is a new scene in this chapter that was a longing request from Greengirl82 and I managed to fit it in… Since I'm reworking so much of this story, I thought… what the hell. So this chapter is now <em>_**dedicated to Greengirl82**__ because I found myself really liking the change!_

* * *

><p>Aaron stood on the opposite side of the big glass doors leading to the BAU and let out a sigh. It would figure. On the one day he <em>actually wanted<em> to get there before Prentiss she would be calmly sitting at her desk, picking over her files. Come to think of it, what on earth was she doing in the office at 7:30 in the morning when she wasn't supposed to be there till after eight? And from the looks of her desk she had been there for a while too.

While carefully maneuvering the two steaming coffee cups he shouldered open the door and stepped inside, listening to the gentle whoosh of the air shock he stood back and just watched her as she flipped from picture to picture, scratching the edge of her nose as she considered the things she was looking at.

His brow creased in thought, what the hell could she be looking at? She didn't have any open consults at the moment and normally when she was picking over a past file for curiosity sake she was in the conference room with the file all spread out and completely dominating the table. This was just the pictures.

Finally, when he couldn't stand his own curiosity anymore and headed over to her desk.

"What are you looking at?"

Even though he had spoken softly Emily still jumped a foot in the air. "Hotch! You scared the life out of me."

"Sorry, I guess you didn't hear me come in." Aaron repressed the desire to smile, knowing she wouldn't find the same pleasure in being startled as he did in doing it to her.

Emily rubbed her sore eyes and let out a weary sigh. She had been staring at the same pictures for the last hour. She was certain she was right but perhaps she could get another opinion. She felt like she had been looking at the pictures for so long that maybe that and a lack of sleep were making her see something that really wasn't there.

Aaron set the cup down in front of her, intentionally drawing her attention away from her own thoughts and back to him. Emily glanced at the coffee and he gave her a shy grin.

She lifted the cup, held it up to her nose and her eyes widened in surprise before closing in absolute bliss, a happy moan slipping past her lips. "You sir, are a wonderful, wonderful man."

He turned away and pulled Morgan's desk chair over. "So what is it that has you so involved this early in the morning?"

Immediately her brain shifted back to work mode and she started shuffling the pictures, selecting the ones she wanted him to see. "Do you remember the consult for Spokane from last week?"

"Yes, it was good, we passed it on to them and they caught the guy day before yesterday."

"Do you remember the fourth victim, Angela Wallace?" Hotch nodded his head as he recalled the information the consult file had on her. "I don't think she was one of his."

"Why do you say that?" Aaron frowned lightly as he leaned forward when Emily laid out the pictures on the desk.

"The scene is off, look at how she's posed. It's perfect but the rest of the room isn't right. The disorganization is completely controlled. Like someone was trying to make it look like there was a scuffle. But the thing that got me in the end?" She pushed one of the pictures in his direction. "Look at the wall next to the bookcase. See that?"

"He left her picture." Aaron's voice took on that low controlled sound that he got when he was mulling a thought over. "Our un-sub wouldn't have done that."

"Nope, our guy destroys anything that he sees as an expression of their vanity. There is no way he would have left it intact. He wouldn't have been able to help himself."

"Could he have simple missed it?" He posed the question to her even though he really didn't think that was the case.

"I don't think so, Hotch. I've been looking at these photos all morning and this is a prominent picture in the room. It's highly unlikely that he would have just missed it." She shuffled through the pictures and handed him a couple more that showed the same wall, the same picture, from different angles.

Emily's voice was hesitant; she didn't want to suggest this, especially from just the information she gleaned from a consult file. "But that's the thing; several of the other pictures were destroyed. If someone was trying to stage the scene they would have known to destroy the pictures but not necessarily which ones."

Aaron's eyes closed and he let out a soft groan, his thoughts already travelling the same path as hers had that morning as she headed into the office. "Not unless he understood why the un-sub chose certain ones."

They both fell silent and Hotch leaned back and sipped his coffee, blowing on the hot liquid, watching as she reorganized the file and put everything away. Emily set it down in front of him. Glad, not for the first time, that she didn't have his job.

He tapped the file folder and gave Emily a sideways look. "This is good work Prentiss."

Emily felt her heart stutter at the sound of his voice. It wasn't very often that Aaron Hotchner gave her a compliment, well, at least about work. She was going to be savoring this for a few days at least.

His voice dropped lower and you could clearly hear his displeasure. "It looks like we're going to have to put in a call to Captain Harris. That's not going to be pleasant."

"No because the only people who would have access to enough information to stage the scene this carefully…"

"Were people involved with the investigation." She tapped her cup against his. At this moment she _really _didn't envy him his job.

Hotch leaned against her desk and watched as she pulled the file closer, reorganizing the pictures and notes into an order that would be most helpful to him for the phone call and then put them back in the file again. This was one of the things he loved about her, all of her odd little quirks.

Emily pushed the file back over to him before reaching up and carefully tucking her hair behind her ears, smiling shyly at the look he was giving her.

Suddenly the only thought in his head was the least appropriate one that he could have in the work place. All he could think about, the only thought he could focus on, was what it would be like to just lean forward and kiss Emily Prentiss.

Would her lips be as soft as they looked? Would she show the same level of excitement over the feel of his lips on hers as she had about other things lately? Would she be tentative kissing him back or would she be bold, taking as well as giving?

Oh, who was he kidding anyway, she would probably smack him for having the nerve. He shook his head to dislodge the thought and she raised and eye brow at the movement.

"What?" She almost snickered at how uncomfortable he looked at that moment but managed to hold it in.

Aaron cleared his throat, trying to cover his momentary embarrassment. "Do you want to sit in on the phone call? It was your file after all, you have every right."

"You wouldn't mind?" She wasn't sure why she was asking, it wasn't like it was a rare occurrence for one of them to sit in on the phone call when further information was being given to the department the consult was for.

"Not at all. Besides Harris might have less of a difficult time believing it if he hears your justifications for it. He seemed very impressed with the profile that we sent to him."

Emily smiled brightly at the second compliment of the morning and nodded her head. It was a day for firsts and she wasn't even on the clock yet. "Sure, just let me know when I need to be there."

Hotch glanced at his watch with a flat look. He would have rather sat her and talked with Emily, instead of going to his office. "I have to head up now, are we still on for lunch?"

Dinners, lunches and wandering the pathways around campus had become a frequent occurrence in the last month or so since the boat races. Emily would show up unexpectedly and drag him off to whatever strange restaurant had caught her eye, or march up to his office and demand that he take her to lunch, smiling in that way that told him that she was worried about how much time he was spending in the office.

And she was right, he had been. But since his new friendship with Emily, he was spending less and less time there, and much to his surprise the time he was spending was more productive than he had been in a long time.

Today's promised excursion was to a small dinner in Quantico that was reputed to have the best hamburgers in Virginia and for not the first time, he was really looking forward to it. Both the lunch and the time he would get to have Emily all to himself.

"Wouldn't miss it." Her voice was soft and intimate and it caused his heart to jump.

Too bad he was going to have to flat line her happiness with his other news. He tapped the lid on her cup and gave her a regretful look when she glanced back up at him.

"I know. It's an apology of sorts." When Hotch raised his brow she gave him a commiserating smile. "JJ left me a text last night, letting me know that my weekend was probably going to be shot. I'm not sure what she thought I would be doing but she wanted to give me a heads up just in case I had plans."

"I'm sorry," he spoke softly as he looked down at the floor, "I know you were looking forward to the play."

"So were you." She lifted a shoulder and again he was amazed at how easy going she tended to be. "Besides, we can go and see it another day. Would it have been nice to see it on Friday for the opening night? Yes, but then again, it's just the way this job works sometimes."

His voice was full of remorse. "Unfortunately, yes."

Emily leaned over and pulled a couple of the files off of her pile. "Does it look likely that we are going to have to go?" She was hoping to distract him from the guilt she could clearly see on his face.

"I think so, but we won't know until later today. They have a possible lead they want to look into first. And who knows, it just might pan out but I don't think it's likely. I think today we'll just be waiting till the call comes."

Aaron nodded his head at Morgan as he came into the bullpen, the other man letting out a groan at Hotch's last statement. Emily snickered at his theatrics as he turned towards the break room and the coffee pot waiting for him.

Emily lowered her voice in deference to where they were and Hotch had to step closer to her in order to hear her clearly. "Well, if we wait a week or so we can go to one of the Matinee performances, they don't require purchasing the tickets ahead of time so we can just go when we have the time."

Hotch nodded his head in agreement. "Sounds like a plan."

Resigning himself to the day ahead, Aaron pushed Morgan's chair back to his desk and turned towards the stairs to the upper floor and his office. He glanced back at Emily and gave her a brief smile, thinking how nice it was not to have to apologize or explain away missing a date. He couldn't remember the last time he had to cancel something where he didn't have to have several detailed make up plans in place ahead of time.

Derek sat down at his desk and looked at first Hotch and then Emily before raising an eyebrow at the brunette.

"So what was that all about?" His voice was just this side of salacious and Emily frowned at him, not understanding the question.

She looked towards Hotch's closed office door and then back at Morgan. "I had an issue with one of my consults."

"Not that. The…" Morgan's eyes widened briefly before he smirked at her. "You know what Prentiss? If you don't see it I'm not gonna tell you." With that he let out a low teasing laugh and turned back to his desk and his own pile of files waiting for him.

"What?" Her tone demanded that he tell her but Derek just laughed again and shook his head, glancing up at Hotch's office. He could honestly say he was surprised, but pleased about this new change in the team dynamics. Concerns about complications and problems far from his mind because if there was one thing he could say about his friends, when they were in, they were all in.

Emily tossed Morgan furtive looks but waited a few moments before she very carefully and quietly balled up a piece of scrap paper. When she was sure he wasn't paying her any attention, she let it fly to bounce of the top of her partner's bald head.

Derek turned his head and gave Prentiss a playful glare before laughing softly as he opened his first file of the morning.

* * *

><p>Hotch hipped the door to his car shut and tried to juggle the items in his arms. He still felt really bad for having to cancel their date that night and sighed in frustration. Tuesday was the day that JJ called him about the file and here it was Friday and they were still waiting. He had no idea what it was that San Diego was waiting for, another body perhaps, but they were still reluctant to call the team in.<p>

So here they were on Friday night and the whole team was in a holding pattern till they got the word that they had been officially invited. Whether the San Diego Police would admit it or not they had a real problem and Hotch had made the decision to take the team off of rotation. They would be needed for this one, when the call came.

It was probably the most frustrating part of their job. The constant, almost non-stop waiting, it was always wait, wait, wait and then running as fast as they could to catch up.

So spur of the moment, Hotch figured that he would surprise Emily with pizza and a movie, but at home so that they had the time to relax before they had to run again.

He just hoped that she was home.

He moved up to the door, giving the security camera a half wave and peaked inside the glass doors waiting for Frank to come and let him in. His eyebrows shot into his hairline when no one came to the door but he could hear the electronic buzz that signaled the door being opened remotely.

Using his shoulder, he pushed the door open and he stepped into the foyer of Emily's building. He looked at the security desk, where there was no one to be found.

Suddenly, a jovial, if slightly muffled, voice came from down close to the floor. "Good evening Aaron!"

Hotch set his wares down on the counter and peered over the edge of the desk. He spotted the elderly man on the floor on his hands and knees, stretching to reach for something under the side drawers.

"Frank, what on earth are you doing down there?" Aaron's voice was highly amused over the position he found Emily's security guard in.

"Lost my pen, damn thing just rolled away on me!"

"And you didn't have another one?"

"There you are, got you, you stupid…" Frank's voice trailed off as he stood up and brushed himself off. "This one here is my favorite. Was a gift from Miss Emily for Christmas last year, wouldn't do to lose it now would it?"

Hotch's timbre softened at the obvious affection in the older man's voice. "No, I don't suppose that it would."

"Sorry 'bout not letting you in. But I saw you getting out of your car and could see you on the camera, figured you wouldn't mind just a buzz in."

"For Emily's pen, I think we can pass this time." He gave the older man a teasing smile at the idea that he was apologizing for not opening the door for him. "Is Emily in tonight?"

Frank gingerly lowered his weathered old bones into the chair. "For sure, she got home a bit ago and hasn't been out since."

"Is it all right if I just head up?" Aaron picked up his packages and pointed his thumb at the elevator on the wall.

Already knowing what the answer was going to be, Frank picked up the phone. Aaron was nothing if not a proper gentleman. "Certainly, do you want me to call her and let her know you are on your way up?"

"If you wouldn't mind, my visit is a bit of surprise."

"Will do, you both have a good night now." As Frank dialed Miss Emily's number his smile softened at the thought of two of his favorite people. He couldn't remember a time since she moved into the building where she had been as happy as she had been since Aaron started to come around.

Hotch waved as he moved off to the elevators and punched the button for the sixth floor and shifted impatiently until it car arrived.

As he exited the elevator he could see a dark head peeking out from around the frame of Prentiss' door as she waited for him to make it up to her floor.

"Hotch, what are you doing here?" Emily's voice was filled with obvious pleasure at his surprise visit.

"I thought since we had to cancel I would surprise you with pizza and a movie, unless you're busy tonight." Standing there he felt a bit like an idiot for not calling ahead. She was a beautiful woman and there was no reason she wouldn't have made alternate plans for the evening.

Emily pulled a face at him, grabbed his jacket and pulled him into the apartment with her. Without a word she went scrambling up the stairs, yelling something about changing from the top.

Emily quickly stripped herself of the restrictive suit she had been wearing and tossed it in the hamper before grabbing a light t-shirt and pair of pants from the pile of clean clothes she had yet to get put away. She stood there for a moment and contemplated her choice before shrugging her shoulders. Hotch had seen her covered in mud and her hair windblown during that case in Connecticut last month, this would be a vast improvement.

She wished she had have known Aaron was coming over. She would have made sure to have done all of this before he got there, so as not to leave him waiting. She quickly dragged a brush through her hair and attempted to relax her racing heart, something that seemed to be happening more and more often lately when he did something unexpected like this, unexpected and sweet things.

Deeming that she was presentable enough for pizza and a movie she flicked off the light and headed back down the stairs. When she got to the bottom of the stairs she flushed with embarrassment when she saw Hotch still standing in the middle of her kitchen with the pizza and movies.

"Here, let me take that." She reached over and snagged the box from his hands and a spare dish towel from the rack.

Emily laid out the dishtowel on the table before setting the box on top. Making a round trip back to the kitchen she was tempted to snicker at the slightly lost look that Aaron was sporting. She raised a brow at him and he seemed to have remembered that he didn't need to stand on ceremony in her home anymore. "Sorry about running off like that. Haven't been home that long and I was dying to change."

He shrugged as he grabbed a couple of plates from the cupboard. "You were off, so why were you all dressed up today anyway?"

"I had that meeting with OPR this afternoon and I just got home. Honestly, I can't stand suits and as soon as I get home about the only thing I can think about is getting out of it."

His eyes almost crossed as he pictured her sans suit and nothing else. Hotch would have loved nothing more than to bash his head on the fridge door, the nice hard metal fridge door. These random thoughts seemed to be creeping up on him more and more often lately. But as he had already pointed out she was an incredibly beautiful woman and he supposed it was a natural reaction to spending so much time in her presence.

_And denial is a lovely place to live in isn't it Aaron?_

Shaking that thought from his head he commiserated with her, "I understand. I know that most of the team thinks that I sleep in a suit but when I leave the FBI I think I might celebrate by taking them all out into a field somewhere and starting them on fire."

Emily laughed at the image that statement provoked as she snagged a beer from the bunch on the table and sat dropped down on the floor. Deciding 'when in Rome' Aaron followed suit and without further ceremony they broke into the pizza.

* * *

><p>Several hours later, Emily looked up at the clock and gasped at the time. It was well after one in the morning and between the two of them they had managed to toast off the whole pizza, his six pack of beer and several more from the fridge.<p>

She glanced to her left and noted that they never did get around to watching the movie. Instead they had spent the last five hours, sitting on the floor in her living room, in the near dark and talked about nothing, about everything.

And considering it was spur of the moment, it was one of the most enjoyable evenings she'd had in longer than she cared to remember.

"Okay, how about your favorite food?" His low voice came to her after a short lull in the conversation.

Emily grinned at him. Somehow they had stumbled onto some strange form of twenty questions, except he seemed to be the only one doing the asking.

She paused for effect before answering definitively. "Reece's Peanut Butter Cups."

"Prentiss, that's not a food, it's a…" he searched helplessly for a word, "snack."

"Are you kidding me?" her voice was laced with as much fake shock as she could manage, "They are a food group all on their own."

Aaron raised an eyebrow waiting for her to explain her reasoning behind this one. If nothing else it should be good to hear. "Prentiss logic" was one of the most interesting things he had come across in a long time.

She allowed her voice to drop significantly and take on a husky quality as her eyes slid closed. "The outside of them is smooth, rich and so sweet. They just melt on your tongue but when you bite down, you get this explosion of slightly salty, rich peanut butter. They are the best food ever."

Hotch just sat there, leaning against the couch, his face propped up on his fist, completely enraptured by the look on her face as she described her favorite confection. This was a side of her that he was just now getting used to seeing and it would peak out at the most unusual times.

She was passionate, ethereal and unbelievably sensual. And for a brief moment he was almost jealous of her peanut butter cups, to have engendered that kind of response in her. He would like to have said he was surprised as his body hardened at the thought of what she would be like in more sensual pursuits than a discussion on food.

He wasn't. Not anymore.

Aaron realized that he had been quiet too long when she blinked at him and started to look a little uncomfortable. Aaron shifted how he was sitting to relieve some of the newfound tightness in his jeans and cleared his throat, trying to stifle the slight embarrassment.

"They are still not a food," was his gruff reply.

Emily breathed out a sigh of relief when he finally spoke. She honestly had been afraid that her inner freak was going to have frightened away this man too, a man who was turning out to be one of her closest friends.

She flapped a hand at him, as if brushing away an annoying mosquito, and spoke in a playful, slightly superior tone of voice. "Whatever… _you obviously are not a true _chocolate connoisseur."

"Obviously." He grinned with no small amount of humor. The humor faded from his face as he finally posed the question he wanted answered most. "How is it that you're not married Emily?"

Emily's eyes widened in shock, not of the question, she had heard it a hundred times before, but from the fact that it was Hotch asking. He always seemed to shy away from anything too personal. Choosing instead to keep their friendship light and relaxed but tonight it seemed he was changing the rules.

"I'm sorry. That was unbelievably rude." His voice was quiet and uncomfortable sounding when he spoke.

Emily hadn't even realized how long she had been quiet. "No Aaron, it's okay. I was just a little surprised, that's all."

She looked away from him and pursed her lips in thought. She could come up with a dozen flip answers for him, the ones that she usually used to answer the question. But this time, for the first time, she wanted someone to understand.

She wanted Aaron to understand.

"Most of my life, I have been an extension of something. Ambassador Prentiss' daughter being the first and the FBI Agent the last. And it always feels like anyone who wanted to be with me, wanted me but not for me, but because of one of the things that I was a part of, political connections, money, or my job. No one ever really seems to just see me, just Emily and still want me."

His brow furrowed at the thought. "But all of these things are a part of you."

"Yes, but there is so much more about me, that has nothing to do with status or connections and every time something of that peaks out, when I finally relax and try and just be me, the guy, inevitably, runs for the hills." Emily looked at him intently, hoping he understood; that someone finally understood.

His eyes shifted before narrowing in on her as he put it together. "Is that why you were so put off about talking about your linguistics background that day at the races?"

"Mostly, I have just gotten used to the fact that most men I meet don't want to hear about it or assume that I'm an intellectual snob because of it as a result I try not to talk about it… with anyone really."

For long moments they were quiet, each lost in their own thoughts and Emily found that for once she couldn't stand the silence with him. "Okay. It's your turn."

He leaned back slightly in surprise at the statement. "It's my turn for what?"

"You have asked about a hundred questions about me, you get to answer some now." She rubbed her hands together as he gave a resigned nod of his head. "Hobbies?"

When he just looked at her with a blank expression, her jaw actually dropped.

"Come on Hotch, you have to have a hobby."

He reached out and picked at a loose carpet thread and actually looked embarrassed. "I work… a lot."

Her voice softened at his discomfort. "There has to be something besides work Aaron."

Hotch got a distant look in his eyes. Even after the time he had spent with her lately, it was sometimes still hard to share. "When I was young, I used to collect coins."

"Why did you stop?" Emily turned so she was facing him and let her head come to rest on her arm.

"I got too busy doing other things and in the end it just didn't seem that important anymore," his eyes got a far off, distant look to them, "although, come to think of it, I do still have the majority of my collection in my safety deposit box."

"So… Why don't you do it now? I mean, you need to have something else to focus on other than work, especially with the job that we do."

"I read a fair bit." Even as he said it he knew that it wasn't going to fly with her.

"And how much of that reading is work related." He didn't even have to answer her for her to know the answer to that question.

"You said to me, that day in the quad, that you feared you were becoming too isolated, but Hotch, the majority of that is self-imposed isolation." She reached out a hand and rested it on his arm. "You are surrounded _everyday_ by people that think the world of you and have tried, repeatedly, to connect with you. It's not us pulling away from you; it's you shutting us out."

He nodded his head sadly but gave her a hopeful look, believing that he was making steps in the right direction. "I know… but I'm here with you now."

"Yes." Emily gave a definitive nod of her head. "Yes, you are."

Hotch reached out a hand and ran his fingers through her hair, not even thinking about how intimate the gesture was, just that he wanted to touch her and he was tired of feeling like he shouldn't. Tired of wanting and not having and finally seeing, finally understanding that what he wanted was Emily Prentiss.

Now he just had to figure out what to do with that thought.

Emily leaned slightly into his touch before she realized what she was doing and pulled away from the seductive feeling; trying to find the emotional distance she needed by creating actual distance.

She got up off of the floor and started to clear up the remnants of their evening together and smiled when she spotted the DVDs still sitting on the side table, still untouched. How long had it been since she just had an evening sitting and talking with a man?

"I should get going." Hotch stood up, attempting to stretch out his back and she winced in sympathy as she heard it crack.

Emily sounded sad at the thought of him leaving and he felt his heart swell. "Hotch, no. It's almost two and you have had way too much to drink to be driving home. Take the guest room."

"I don't want to impose, I can take a cab, and in fact I was planning on it." He collected the empty bottles from the table and followed her to the kitchen.

"It's not an imposition and honestly, you would make me feel bad if you tried to leave."

He gave her a soft smile and nodded his head because in the end he would rather stay here with her, even if it was in the guest room down the hall. "Okay."

She was honestly surprised at how little it took to convince him to stay. Emily was about to say something else when he tipped his head at the door. "I need to run down and grab my go bag."

Emily turned and riffled through the drawer before handing him a set of keys on a spare chain. When he looked at her in askance she explained, "So I don't have to let you back in. The gold one is for outside, the two silver ones are for the door. I'm just going to run up and make sure the room is ready."

Hotch ran down to his car and grabbed his bag from the trunk before sprinting back into the building. Frank had left for the night so now he understood why she had given him the keys. The younger man gave him a scowl that almost made Aaron chuckle as he walked passed but with a key the boy could hardly say anything.

He briefly wondered if the kid knew whose apartment he was heading to and if that was the reason for the glare. Without bidding he felt a smirk cross his lips before quashing the thought of traveling up to her apartment for something far less innocent than bunking down in the spare room.

As he let himself into the apartment, he pocketed the keys and made his way up to the top of the stairs. He peaked in the first door he came to and found Emily turning down the bed, the gentle light of the lamp on the bed side table gave her a softer look and for a moment he just stood and stared at her. Visions of things that he wished he had but didn't running through his mind.

But what he found shocked him most was that where in the past it had always been Haley in his imaginings, now he was seeing Emily instead. And for the first time he was fairly content with the change, with the directions his thoughts seemed to be taking when he thought about her.

With each passing day he could feel the change getting stronger, more intense and it took most of his willpower some days to block it from his mind. But today… today his willpower was running at an all-time low and the desire he was beginning to feel for her was growing with each passing moment.

Emily gave him a soft smile as he moved into the room. "It's all ready for you. The washroom is across the hall, there are fresh towels on the counter. My room is the last door, in case you need anything."

As she started to move past him, Aaron snagged her wrist. "Thank you Emily." His voice was soft and husky causing heat to flare low in her belly.

His thumb traced back and forth across her pulse point and she repressed the gasp that wanted to escape at the sensual feeling as he pulled her slightly closer, their chests almost touching and she could feel the welcoming heat radiating off of him.

For a moment their eyes locked and her heart started to pound in her chest. His gaze flickered from her eyes to her lips and back again and she wondered for just a moment if he was going to kiss her. Wondering, just for a moment, what would it feel like to be kissed by such an intense and driven man?

Stealing herself, she pulled away from his tender touch and nodded her head before quickly scurrying from the room, leaving Hotch to his own devices.

This was a place that they couldn't go, no matter how much the alcohol and the late hour told them that they should. She was not going to take a chance and ruin a wonderful friendship by being impetuous, by sating a temporary need.

She slowly closed the door to her room and leaned back against the cool wood, willing her heart to stop racing. She shut her eyes and let out a mournful sigh, this was not good, not good at all.

She was getting more attached to him than she ever should have. She knew exactly where this was going. It was just friends and nothing more. He had been very clear about that in the beginning.

Perhaps she should back off now before she ended up getting hurt. Emily allowed the depressed feeling to fill her as she turned herself and her thoughts towards getting ready for bed.

There was neither part of that equation that she liked. Either she lost her friend or she kept her friend and lost her heart and it didn't matter which option she chose she was going to end up getting hurt in the end.

* * *

><p>Hotch stretched his stiff and tired muscles allowing his suit jacket to finally rest on his shoulders as he gazed at the dark wood in front of him. He gently gave the door a tap, not wanting to wake her if she was still asleep but thinking he should at least let her know that he was leaving. The touch of his knuckles on the wood was enough pressure for the door to slide open just a bit and his breath caught in his chest as he was able to make out the figure sleeping in the bed from the slim crack in the door.<p>

It was still dark in the apartment, just before six in the morning but the room was illuminated by a soft glow coming from a nightlight somewhere in the room. It almost beckoned him, creating a path of light, straight to the bed and the woman sleeping in it.

He shuffled from foot to foot while simultaneously clenching and unclenching his fists, trying to will himself not to do what he was thinking about doing.

This was so unbelievably inappropriate.

Finally the angels of his better nature lost and he allowed his hand to rest on the cool wood before gently pushing the door open and stepping into the room. And even with the thought in mind of how she would react to his presence, his silent feet moved across the room till he was gazing down at the figure in the bed, blankets tucked under her chin and her lips tipped slightly showing her contentment.

He crouched down low next to the bed, tipping his head sideways as he marveled at how incredibly beautiful she was. Emily's dark lashes dusted her cheeks in her rest, drawing his eyes along her fair skin, from the sensuous line of her cheek to the way her lips lightly parted as she released a soft sigh.

He closed his eyes and almost trembled with need as he reminded himself how inappropriate this was and how she would undoubtedly kick his ass should she find him here, in her room, watching her sleep.

He opened his eyes again and promised himself he would leave after just a moment longer and went back to observing her slumber.

Several wispy hairs had floated across her cheek as she breathed and without thought he lifted a single finger to trace the side of her face, brushing the hairs away. He could feel a smile tugging at his lips when her nose twitched from the light tickle of their movement, before allowing his hand to drop back down and any remaining touch was from his eyes alone.

He wanted desperately at that moment to wake her with a soft kiss and say goodbye before he left but knew that he couldn't.

Things were changing within him, almost faster than he could cope with and as much as he would love to rush in, no holds barred, he was conscious of the fact that Emily was nowhere near ready for that. He had figured that out from the way she bolted from the guest room last night when he had almost lost control and finally kissed her.

He knew what this was, what was happening between them, even if she didn't fully realize it yet. And in the early morning hours as he watched her turning down the bed he would be sleeping in, he decided that this was what he wanted and he would pursue it to the end. He just had to wait a little bit longer. Wait for Emily to get to the same page he was on and be comfortable with the idea. He just needed to be patient and they could have all of the things that had started to creep into his thoughts over the last couple of weeks. Things he wanted with an almost desperate yearning.

Allowing himself one last lingering touch, he pulled his hand away from the silky feel of her skin he stood before turning back to the door and leaving the room. As he pulled the door closed behind him he gave her one last longing look before heading off into the early morning light.

* * *

><p>The next morning Emily rolled out of bed and groaned as she looked at the clock. 6:42 and all was quiet. What the hell was the matter with her that she couldn't sleep in past 7:00 regardless of how late she stayed awake?<p>

Tugging on her house coat she stumbled from her room in search of coffee and smiled at the smell that filled the air. Figuring that Hotch was already awake she did her best to put the thoughts from last night out of her head and made her way to the kitchen, frowning when she didn't find him there.

On the island was a small folded piece of paper. She picked it up, carefully unfolding it and smiled as she read its contents.

_Good Morning Emily_

_Coffee is fresh; I figured you would be up shortly, regardless of our late night._

_The call came an hour ago and we will be heading out this afternoon._

_You looked so peaceful I didn't have the heart to wake you before I left._

_I'll see you at 1:00 for the briefing._

_Aaron_

She blushed lightly at the thought of Aaron seeing her when she was sleeping and was startled that rather than being annoyed at having her privacy invaded in such a way she felt warmth fill her chest. Both with the thought of him coming to let her know he was leaving and the sentiment for not carrying through.

Emily shook her head and did her best to brush that thought away, to push it into the back of her mind with all the others she was attempting to ignore.

Emily glanced down at the note and thought with some amount of trepidation that it was official. There was no way she was making it out of this with her heart intact.

She closed her eyes and heaved a deep sigh…

She was so screwed.

* * *

><p><strong><em>TBC in Chapter Seven – Introductions Of The Important Kind<em>**


	7. Introduction Of The Important Kind

_**Chapter Seven - Introductions Of The Important Kind**_

* * *

><p><em>Special Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to <em>_**HGRHfan35**__ who got so excited when I told her about the premise of this story way back when I was still attempting to give it an outline. When I got stuck with this chapter she dug around on the internet, sent me a pile of links and tried to help me find a place that was worthy of Emily's introduction to Jack… So without her this chapter would not have been nearly as good as it is. Thank you so much for your support, my champion, my friend. This one is for you!_

* * *

><p>Hotch rubbed his forehead in frustration and let out a weary sigh. So far this wasn't going at all the way that he wanted it to. Already they were running a half hour behind schedule and Jack was, in a rare moment, being incredibly cranky. It was like he seemed to sense that this was important to his father and decided to throw a wrench in the works just for kicks.<p>

In an effort to try and mend at least his friendship with his now ex-wife, he had taken one of Emily's suggestions and on the Sundays when he went to pick up Jack the three of them would have breakfast together. Emily had suggested that not only would it help provide Jack with some small measure of stability and continuity, but that it would show Haley that she was not alone in raising Jack, as she had often complained, that he was still there and when it came to Jack's interests they were still both in this together.

Unfortunately for their plans for the day, it meant having to go back to pick up Emily and then travel almost the whole distance back this way to make it to Leesburg Animal Park.

Haley's distressed voice came to him and he attempted to focus on the current problem… Jack. "I'm sorry Aaron. I don't know where this is coming from. He seemed perfectly okay with it yesterday."

"It alright Haley, we knew this was going to be difficult with him." Aaron gave his ex-wife a small commiserating smile. "He always seemed to have a stronger sense of what was going on around him than most kids his age. I just thought that with it just being one of my friends would be a good start."

"It's not like she's a total stranger either, you've talked about Agent Prentiss before, hell for that matter so have I." She huffed in annoyance and looked back down the hall towards Jack's bedroom where he was currently sulking.

"I know." He rubbed his forehead again before thumbing the door. "I'm gonna go and give her a call."

He pulled open the front door and stepped around the side of the house. He grinned when he heard Haley's voice follow him. "You should have just brought Emily with you to breakfast… Dumbass."

As he listened to the phone ring he tried to come up with alternate ideas for the day but at the same time he didn't want to disappoint Jack. Having to spend the day with Emily was apparently going to be hard enough.

"Hey Hotch." And in typical Emily fashion she bypassed even saying hello.

He felt the smile falling from his face as he scrubbed his hand across his eyes. "I'm sorry I'm late already."

He could almost hear her shrug over the phone as she puttered about her apartment waiting for him and Jack to arrive. "It's okay. I do know enough to know that kid timing isn't the same as adult timing."

"We're gonna be later too." Aaron allowed his body to flop back against the side of the house, attempting to relax.

Emily softened her tone at the sound of the stress in Hotch's voice. "Is everything okay over there?"

"Yeah, Jack is just kicking up a fuss is all, he was fine yesterday but today he's decided that he doesn't want to go."

"Is it because of me?" she questioned gently.

Hotch considered lying to her for one brief moment but their relationship up to now; both professional and personal, was intensely honest. "I think it is a little bit."

"Do you want to postpone this for another time?" She was trying to give him an out even though she knew he wasn't going to take it.

Aaron straightened his frame and resolve at her question. "No. And with the way he's reacting today says we should do this now. He's going to have to get used to the idea of me having a life away from his Mother."

Emily considered what it was he was suggesting and wondered if it didn't have as much to do with the _new woman_ in Daddy's life as it being _anyone_.

Emily sat down on the island stool and considered how she should react to all of this, what would make things easier for both father and son. "So what would you like to do?"

"I don't know." Hotch looked around the neighborhood and considered their options for the day. "I was thinking we could aim for something closer to your home because this is going to have us getting to the park really late. But at the same time Jack has been talking about going to Pumpkinville Festival ever since the park put the signs up for it months ago."

Emily gnawed on her lip for a moment before coming to a decision. "Well, just text me directions and I'll meet you both there."

Aaron's eyes shot open at that and he was seriously tempted to smack his head on the side of the house. Why hadn't he thought of that? "You wouldn't mind?"

"Not at all, it'll make things easier all around. He might have less of an issue if I arrive there and leave you both from there."

Hotch outlined the directions to the park, promising to text them to her along with the actual address for the animal park before letting out another soft sigh. "I'm really sorry about this Emily."

"Aaron, stop apologizing to me. Remember? No expectations."

He grinded his teeth at the reminder of that line, one he was beginning to regret more and more by the day. "Right, we'll see you there."

As he flipped his phone shut he scrunched his eyes closed. No expectations. Why did she have to keep reminding him of that?

* * *

><p>Emily turned down the final stretch of road to the park and sucked in a nervous breath before letting it out in a whooshing rush. This was a big step in their changing friendship and even though she sounded secure on the phone earlier she was well aware of how important this 'date' was. There were few things in this world that Aaron Hotchner protected more than his privacy and Jack was one of those things.<p>

She had talked with everyone else on the team and the last time any of them had seen Jack was the day that Elle was shot. After that Hotch's natural inclination to separate his home life from the pressures of his job went into overdrive. Emily didn't really know the details and didn't feel she had the right to ask but she suspected it was to protect Haley and Jack from the dangers posed by his work. And in keeping home untouched by the darkness he faced every day, he had a place he could turn to, to forget the job and darkness he now carried within himself.

Although she would never say it out loud, Emily suspected that it was one of the things that marked the end of their marriage. In trying to separate the two, he was effectively shutting his wife out of something that was an enormous part of who he was and making it almost impossible for Haley to understand what it was the drove him to keep doing this job day after day, regardless of the cost to himself.

She did find it more than a little surprising that for a man that was a self-aware as Aaron Hotchner, he didn't see what he was doing at the time. He needed that outlet, that person he could turn to with the things that he couldn't share with the team. That place that he didn't have to be strong didn't have to be the perfect leader, where he could be weak, confused and lost, just like the rest of them. A place where he didn't have to wear the mask of SSAIC Hotchner, and he could just be Aaron, a place where he could let the pressures of his job get the better of him without fear and in shutting Haley out he lost that ability.

And in the darker parts of her mind, which she tried to repress, it was a place that she was selfishly hoping that he was finding with her and she in turn could find with him.

Emily pulled into the parking lot and spotted the two of them leaning against Hotch's car. Seeing an opening spot just a few cars away, Emily pulled in and shut off the ignition before leaning back in the seat. She could see Hotch levered himself off of the trunk of his car and taking Jack's hand he led the small boy towards her car and allowed her mind to drift as she watched them.

In the last few weeks Aaron had been more reserved with her than he had been before but at least the open affection he had for her was still present. He still touched her, held her hand, placed a hand on her back as they walked, but ever since their near kiss the touches didn't linger the same way that they did.

She missed it.

She missed the unconscious level of intimacy that seemed to have developed between the two of them, how free he felt touching her and the warmth that spread through her chest at each small touch, each knowing look. A part of her wanted to go back to her guest room, throw caution to the wind, and see what would have happened had she allowed him to kiss her that night.

But this, what they had now, was too important to risk on something that was likely to never work out. It never did for her and with that thought she slammed the lid closed on that box, refusing to allow those thoughts light.

Emily limbed out of the car, sucked in a nervous breath and shook out her arms. She watched the way that they young boy clutched his father's pant leg and prepared herself for the course of action that she figured would work with Jack. She figured that Hotch's reasons might be wrong for him not to want her here and either way her tactic might just work.

"Hi Emily, Emily, this is Jack." Hotch looked down at his son and ran a large hand through his hair causing Emily to smile at the obvious affection in the gesture, her eyes widening in recognition of being graced with a similar touch before doing her best to block the thought from her mind. She didn't have the time to focus on it at the moment.

"Hi Jack." She gave him a small smile but didn't even wait for the whining reply that she could see building as he buried his small round face in his father's leg. Emily crossed her hands behind her back and wandered off with an air of nonchalance towards the front gate.

Hotch frowned lightly at her behavior but it was something he was going to have to figure out later. He crouched down to look at his son and Jack knew from the look on his father's face that he was in trouble. Aaron watched the boy shift nervously before he turned slightly away. He watched in wonder as the little boys eyes followed the dark haired woman that was wandering around by the entrance and figured that perhaps this could wait till later.

As they moved through the entrance, Hotch paid for the tickets and Emily wandered off again. She made sure she stayed close to them but she paid no attention to the two of them and what they were doing. He had seen it in the past, Emily was naturally wonderful with children, it was one of the reason he always had her deal with the children on cases they had with them, and he couldn't understand for the life of him way she was behaving the way she was. His brow furrowed as she once again wandered away from them and he gave up trying to figure out what was going on with her and turned his attention back to Jack.

Emily was tempted to let her jaw drop at the sheer size of the park. Hotch, the obvious master of understatement, had told her it was a petting zoo. As she looked around he snorted at the thought.

Leesburg Animal Park was at least 20 acres in size. The area was covered in rolling hills and small buildings that housed the animals; there was also a wide variety of interactive pens allowing the children to play with some of them.

There were trees by the thousands providing shaded areas for people to sit on the picnic tables and benches.

Hotch grinned as Emily all but ran for the pen that housed the African Serval Cat and noticed the way that her shoulders dropped as she noted the sign letting everyone know that the mother cat was in a different area with her young, as she had just given birth a week ago and wasn't able to interact with the public yet.

And the whole time Jack watched Emily with curious eyes.

Jack started to finally relax and chittered on about the things that he wanted to do but the whole time he made sure to keep track of where Emily was. His eyes always following her as she milled around, close by but limiting any interaction she had with the two of them, allowing him to focus exclusively on Jack.

She seemed remarkably adept at following them without seeming to pay any attention to what they were doing and where they were going. Hotch was left with the feeling that this was something that she had planned out in advance of arriving at the park but for the life of him, couldn't figure out why.

Finally as they were approaching the face painting teepee tent Jack let go of his father's hand and made his way tentatively over to where Emily was standing, as she observed several of the photos on a nearby table.

Jack clutched the edge of the table in his small hands and peered up at the dark haired woman. "Em'ly?"

"Hello Jack." She offered him a warm smile but didn't attempt to engage him in any other fashion.

"What'er you doin'?" He lifted himself up onto his tiptoes so that he could see what she was looking at.

Emily kept her tone friendly but her statements very matter of fact and to the point. "I'm choosing a picture."

"Fer what?"

"Face painting. I think I'm going to do that one." She pointed towards a picture of a small black cat and smiled at his next question.

"Can I come with you?" His voice was hesitant and shy but there was warmth to it now.

"Sure." Emily held out her hand to the young boy and led the way as they moved into the tent.

Emily allowed Jack to go in ahead of her and then ducked to follow him through the entrance. They waited for a few minutes for the young girl that was doing the face painting to finish her current customer.

The young girl crouched down low so that she was level with Jack. She seemed to sense his shyness, spoke in a clear but soft voice. "Hello, I'm Tasha. So what can I paint for you today?

Jack clutched the back of Emily's leg and shifted one toe in the grass floor. Emily ran her fingers through his hair before moving over to the chair and sitting herself down, pulling Jack up into her lap.

"I'm gonna have a black cat. What did you want?" She looked over at the boy and smiled at his shy shrug as he wiggled about, trying to get comfortable. She ran a finger over his cheek as she spoke. "How about pumpkins for you, one for each side?"

Jack nodded his head and finally started to relax as he watched Emily having a large black cat painted on the side of her face.

Hotch stood there just inside the doorway and smiled at the giggles coming from his son at the feeling of the paintbrush tickling his cheek. He could admit it; he was completely stupefied by what he had just witnessed.

In the course of less than an hour Emily seemed to have gotten Jack over whatever issues he was having by doing… nothing.

He reached up and scratched his head deciding that he didn't really need to know at the moment. Content to just sit back and watch as they got their faces painted.

* * *

><p>Jack looked through the big slats in the wooden fence and then peered up at his Dad. "I don't wanna go, he's too big."<p>

Hotch smiled softly and knelt down next to his son. "It'll be okay, I'll be right there with you."

"What if he bites?" The small boy worried at his lip looking back and forth between the animal and his father.

"I don't think they would let people in there if he did." Aaron shook his head lightly and ran his broad hand up and down Jack's back.

Emily looked between father and son and could see the frustration emerging on Hotch's face. This conversation had been going on for the last ten minutes and didn't look like it was going to be resolved anytime soon.

Jack was afraid of the giant turtle but at the same time every time they tried to get him to move onto something else he refused. Up until now Emily was perfectly content to sit back and observe the conversation.

She finally gave in and piped up as if she hadn't been listening to them the whole time and attempted to sound surprised, allowing her eyes to widen dramatically. "You've never pet a turtle?"

Jack peaked up at her from his fringe of hair and shook his head.

"Well…. Me either." She paused for a moment, tipping her head to the side, as if she was considering a thought. "I'm gonna go and pet me a turtle." With that she turned on her heel, did an about face and marched off towards the gate.

Hotch could see the indecision and longing in his son's face and when Jack turned back to him, he nodded his head with an encouraging grin.

He stood back up as Jack raced after Emily, trying to catch up with her at the gate. It would figure, like father like son. It turned out that Jack was just as enamored with the dark haired woman as his father was. He smiled as Emily, without looking, stuck a hand out for Jack. He carefully placed his hand in hers and gave her a big smile.

Emily looked down at the small boy and fell just a little bit more in love. His smile was completely radiant even though she could still see the latent fear in his eyes. She reached down and scooped him up in her arms and gave him a quick cuddle before dropping him to rest on her hip and that started it. A litany of chatter that went so fast that most of it she couldn't follow but that was okay. He seemed perfectly happy to chatter along, so long as she made the right noises at the right times.

She turned sideways so that they could both look at the enclosure. It was roughly 30 feet square and had old weathered slatted boards that stood about four feet high, penning in the massive creatures. The ground was covered with lush, ankle high, rich green grass and several large dishes full of bits and pieces of vegetables or water scattered about the perimeter. Milling about in a lazy fashion were four of the giant turtles that to the back of their shells would easily come up as far as Emily's knees.

Feeling a small amount of nervousness, she laughed at herself while shaking her head. She could enter a room with an armed un-sub and here she was, afraid of a giant turtle. They passed through the turnstile and Emily gave Jack a soft smile before setting him down on the grass. She grasped his hand firmly in her own and made her way across the turtle pen.

Aaron leaned against the fence and rested his chin on his folded arms and just observed as he had been doing for most of the morning. She marched them over till they were about five feet away from one of the massive turtles. She dropped down onto her butt in the middle of the grass and pulled Jack into her lap and waited.

It didn't take long for one of the giant turtles to notice them there. The massive creature, ever so slowly, ambled its way towards them.

"Em'ly?" Jack's voice sounded so hesitant that it almost broke her heart.

"It's okay Jack, see how slow he moves?" When Jack nodded his head in understanding she smiled and ruffled his hair. "I think we can out run him. Besides, I'm right here and I swear I won't let anything happen to you."

At that Jack seemed to relax a bit and snuggled himself into her lap. As the turtle got closer Emily choked down her own trepidation and held out a hand to the creature. It placed its snout in her palm for a moment before finally tipping its head to the side, asking to be petted. She let out a silent sigh of relief and petted the turtle gently on the head.

It didn't take long before Jack reached out as well and they were both petting the animal. A young girl from the park came over with several carrot sticks and handed one to Jack, allowing him to feed it to the turtle. Jack stretched his arm out nervously and the turtle carefully extended its huge neck and grasped the offered stick before jerking its head back and munching away on the treat. Jack giggled with pleasure as its eyes closed happily and Emily could swear that the damn thing was grinning.

As they played with the Giant turtle, well as much as anyone can play with a turtle, Aaron continued to watch from the side. He smiled at the constant whispered conversation that was taking place between the young boy and woman.

She was a continual amazement to him, he knew from conversations with her over the last couple of months that she didn't know much about kids, didn't have any of her own and no siblings so there for no nieces and nephews. Because of all of the moving around they did and living in other countries she never babysat either.

But here she was, coaxing Jack into the turtle pen and interacting with him as if it was the most natural thing to her.

She was going to make a wonderful mother.

As he leaned there against the fence he allowed his mind to wander to places that he had, up till that point, avoided thinking about too much and he could picture it all clearly. Emily would be beautiful and vibrant, pregnant with his child and god how he would love getting her that way. He could just imagine what she would be like. She was joyous in most of the things that she did away from work. Free, fun loving and he figured in this she would be no different.

It was thoughts that he spent most of the time over the last few weeks trying to restrain or ignore but for once he just let them flow. How she would look, her hair fanned out on the pillow with him over her, under her, hell just about any way he could think of… with her.

It didn't matter anymore, the way that this all started. Or what it was intended to be, for him it had changed and now he just had to figure out how to get her to see that change too, to see what they could become.

He had been trying but she didn't seem to know how to take the changes in his behavior. Perhaps it was time to just sit down and have an open talk with her. But at the same time he was hesitant. He knew her past, understood that she had issues and a part of him was afraid to lay it out on the line for fear she would bolt and they would ruin what they already had together.

* * *

><p>Emily plunked herself down on the bench next to Hotch and handed him his coffee before letting out a deep sigh of exhaustion. Jack was still going strong and didn't seem to have any desire to stop anytime soon.<p>

Currently he was playing on the hill slide with one of the young teens who helped with the children so that their parents could have a rest for a moment. The place really was kind of ingenious. The hill slide was covered in long sheets of soft white plastic, bracketed by short square hay bales. The kids where tended to at the top of the three part slide by one of the teens and caught at the bottom by one of the others.

A few of the children Jack's age were accompanied by one of the young people so as to limit the chances of them being hurt. Emily laughed at Jack's scream of joy as he came down the hill and without stopping, pulled on the other boy's hand, racing back up the hillside to the top.

"How can someone that small possibly have that much energy?" Emily flapped a hand in the direction of the slide and turned to face Hotch, eyes twinkling with happiness. "I mean, look at him, and he's still going."

Hotch turned sideways on the bench and looked over the woman next to him while still keeping any eye on his son. She was amazing, he knew he kept saying that but a part of him had been worried about how they would interact. But what she had been able to do with Jack since they arrived was nothing short of incredible.

He was playing freely without needing to have his parents shadowing his every move. In all of the times they had been to the park since the beginning of summer this was the first time that Jack wanted to interact with the other kids. He knew them all, had been here often enough that the caretaker kids knew him by name but Jack was always hesitant to join in without the presence of his father close at hand.

"He's a little too much like me sometimes." Aaron's look was slightly chagrinned. "He's very cautious, wary of the things around him. I suppose that my own suspicious nature doesn't help much."

Emily shook her head in disagreement. "He's a remarkable child and incredibly smart. You should be very proud of him."

"I am." He tipped his head in thought before asking the question that had been nagging at him since they arrived. "What was with you when we got here?"

Emily pursed her lips in thought as she considered how best to answer the question. "He needed to approach me, to choose to include me on his own. Regardless of the reasons he reacted the way that he did, he saw me as threatening to him." She glanced over to see Jack was again back at the top of the slide. "So I waited. He's a child, sooner or later he was going to get curious enough to come to me on his own."

"How did you come up with that? It's not something they would have suggested in standard parenting." Aaron sincerely was curious, because even being a profiler; he wouldn't have discovered that course of action.

She grinned at him as she replied, "Remember all of those books, that day in the quad?"

Hotch closed his eyes in understanding. "All of the child psychology books?"

Emily nodded her head before taking a sip of the warm apple cider she had chosen for herself. "Hmmm, in the end whether he was threatened by a woman taking place of his mother or someone taking his time with you, I eliminated that threat by letting him choose to include me. That way, I wasn't someone that was taking something from him, but someone that was new _for him_."

"Well, it's not something I would have thought to do."

"Of course not, your approach to things is always to face them head on. You have always been forthright and straightforward in everything that you do. It would have gotten him to the same place but this was just going to be faster, and likely less stressful for both you and Jack."

Hotch openly stared at her with something akin to awe in his eyes and she tried to make herself not do it but in the end she couldn't help it.

She blushed, which only served to make Hotch smile just that little bit brighter.

"I guess I should dig into those books of yours."

Jack raced over to the bench and grabbed Emily's hand, tugging to get her to go with him to the slides. She gave Hotch a small grin before she was off again, her time and energy being monopolized by a small three year old boy.

* * *

><p>Hotch lifted Jack off of the seat next to Emily with a tender smile on his face. The young boy had finally run out of steam when they sat down for the last activity of the day, the hay ride. He had been so excited about it but less than a few minutes in he slipped sideways and curled up with his head resting in Emily's lap, rather than getting upset she simply draped her jacket over his small form and smiled.<p>

For the length of the twenty minute ride Hotch and Emily chatted quietly and enjoyed the rest from the constant activity they had been subjected to since they arrived that morning. After the slide Jack had grabbed ahold of Aaron and ran for the "Moon Bounce" which Jack had declared was the 'bestest' of all of the games cause Dad went in with him.

Emily had stood off to the side and laughed hysterically as Hotch attempted to jump up and down with Jack in the giant air tent. More often than not, it was Jack sitting on the floor and Hotch jumping so that it would spring the young boy up in the air, causing him to scream with excitement.

Once Aaron had Jack hoisted up in his arms, the young boys face curled into his warm neck, he held out a hand to Emily so that she could jump down from the deck of the truck. Rather than letting go he laced his fingers through hers and tugged her along with him towards the exit of the park.

Emily carefully carted the Jack-o-lantern that father and son had made at one of the activities. She had enjoyed the chance to sit back and just watch the two of them, grateful for the reprieve from over excited three year old child.

It was getting late and as much as he was loath to have this day end, he needed to get Jack back to Haley's for the night. They had decided that until the next summer Hotch would return Jack to his mother's home each night when they were out. As much as he didn't like it, he understood it. Jack often had a hard time with changes, so they were trying to take this in little steps to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Now why hadn't they thought of that with his introduction to Emily?

And that was one of the more important firsts, even if she didn't know it yet.

As they approached the car Emily gently set her items in the trunk and stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets, shifting from foot to foot. How was she going to manage this? She was already far more attached to Aaron than she should be, given their arrangement being what it was, and now she feared she was growing just as attached to his son.

At the time it seemed like a good idea to meet here but now she just wanted to climb into the car and go home with them.

He shut the door gently and turned to his companion, stepping up closer to her and intentionally invading her space. He reached out and grasped her hand, allowing his thumb to trail softly across the pulse point, gratified when he felt her heart rate increase.

"Thank you for today. You have made what could have been difficult and stressful, a wonderful afternoon."

"Thank you for asking me to come."

God, he wanted to kiss her more than anything. But he had to keep reminding himself that it wasn't time. Not yet. They had to shift the nature of their time together first and that wouldn't happen if he threw himself at her lips, which is what he really wanted to do.

Baby steps, he was going to do this in baby steps. He had decided that over the course of the afternoon. She needed to be comfortable with the changes that came between them and for that he was going to have to move at her pace, not push her into something she wasn't ready for. And at some point, hopefully soon, they were going to sit down and have a talk, tell her what he was thinking, how things had changed for him and what he wanted to see in the future.

That this was no longer just friends; that it could become something so much more.

With a sigh of regret he pulled back from her and instantly missed the warmth of her body heat in the early night. He watched as she made her way to her car, leaning against the trunk and waited till he couldn't see her tail lights anymore.

As he got into his own car and started the engine, he had to remind himself. This was just the start and there was hope.

* * *

><p><strong><em>TBC in Chapter Eight – Passage Of Time<em>**


	8. Passage Of Time

_**Chapter Eight – Passage of Time**_

* * *

><p>Time, when you aren't paying attention has a way of getting ahead of you. When you least expect it, days turn into weeks and weeks turn into months. Aaron was never more cognizant of that fact than he was as he looked out the window as the snow as it began to drift lazily to the ground once again.<p>

It had been almost two months since he had vowed that he was going to have a talk with Emily, let her know he was interested in pursuing something more, find out if she was interested in the same thing.

He had yet to do it.

They seemed to have fallen into a type of stasis. While their friendship continued to grow deeper by the day it wasn't moving in the direction he wanted it to. But there just never seemed to be a good time to just sit and talk.

Things around the office had been so busy over the last couple of months that they were almost always working. Running from one case to the next, time spent alone together was far too short for such a conversation. Mostly they talked about family, Jack, plans for the holidays and other less complicated matters.

Aaron watched the gentle white flakes float lazily to the ground as he leaned against the wall next to his apartment window. It had been snowing off and on for several days now and he felt a melancholy fill his heart as he faced the prospect of the Christmas season alone for the first time in over 15 years.

The last time he could recall not having someone with him during the holidays was his first year in SWAT. He, as the low man on the totem pole, pulled the duty to stay in the office, on the off chance that something might happen. Every other year since then by either chance or fate he always managed to be home during the holidays.

Last year even though he and Haley were separated he still got to spend time with Jack and his brother Sean had made the effort to come and spend a few days. Considering that you couldn't really call them close it spoke of their affection for each other that Sean knew how much it would hurt his brother and did his bit to help. And then there was the time spent with the team.

This year, because everyone was on stand down they had all scattered for the four corners. Morgan had returned to Chicago to spend the holiday with his family. Kevin had roped Garcia into some short holiday hop for destinations unknown. Even JJ and Will left the state, returning to New Orleans since none of his family had yet had the chance to meet baby Henry. That left Dave, Hotch and Emily being the only ones remaining in D. C. through the holidays.

For a few moments when he found out that the team would be off rotation this year he had started to form ideas for the conversation they would finally have. That lasted until the following Monday morning when he saw what being on stand down was going to mean for her. The stress of family obligations she wouldn't be able to avoid and in the end he didn't have the heart to bring up a subject that had the potential to add to that stress, making the holidays even worse for her.

He glanced over at the phone on his desk for the third time in the last hour and wondered if she would mind the call. He was lonely; he could admit it, if only to himself.

He spoke with Jack on the phone and that was about the highlight of the night. His son was so excited with all of the activities his grandparents were taking him to. He almost smiled when Haley's father got on the phone and demanded to know why Aaron hadn't come with them. Telling him again that just because Haley chose to divorce him, didn't mean the rest of the family did too. But somehow he couldn't find it in himself to want to go this year.

His missed Jack, of that there was no doubt, but when Haley had asked he didn't have the heart to put up a fuss over the trip to her parents place in Maine, even though it meant that he wouldn't get to see his son until the New Year.

Some of his happiest memories from his youth where not of time at home, but at the Brook's family cabin in Maine, with Haley and her mass of brothers and sisters. Growing up it was only ever him and Sean and because of the difference in their ages it was often like being alone. But there he was surrounded by the laughter and joy that came from being a part of a large family. He couldn't deny his son that same experience.

He glanced at the phone again and finally dialed her number, a morose part of him was half afraid she wouldn't be home and he would feel more alone than he did before. He was really beginning to understand why some people hated the holidays.

After five rings her answering machine picked up and he let out a weary sigh. He should have known that Prentiss would likely have plans for the week, she had been crabbing about the familial obligations that go with her name and her Mother's life since the beginning of December, getting progressively worse when the Ambassador found out that Emily wouldn't be working over Christmas.

Just as he was about to hang up he heard her voice on the other end of the line. There was a screech and a thump as the phone was dropped and he could hear her on the other end as she scrambled to retrieve the offending piece of technology.

"Damn it. Hang on!" He smiled at the harassed sound in her voice, the first genuine smile he had in days.

"Prentiss." She growled into the phone.

His voice was equal parts full of mirth and depression. "Hi, it's Aaron."

"Hotch?" Emily's tone changed at the sound of his voice. "Is something wrong?"

"No… I was just…" He let out a deep sigh, now that he had her on the phone he had no idea what to say.

"I know." And he had known that she would, which is why he had called her in the first place.

There was silence on the line for long moments, neither knowing what to say. Emily was the one to finally break the silence and with something he would never have expected her to say.

"Have you been to Seneca Creek State Park?" Emily's tone was completely conversational and he had no idea where she was going with this.

"No. I can't say as I have." Wondering where she was heading with this.

"Are you busy?"

"Not so you notice." came his bemused reply.

"Come and get me in an hour." And with that she hung up the phone not even waiting for a response.

Hotch returned the handset to its cradle and looked at it with a slightly baffled expression. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting when he called her but it hadn't been that, Seneca Creek Park? He had heard of it in passing but didn't know much about it other than that it was a massive park with hiking trails and such.

He looked at his watch and then down at his jogging pants. He figured that if he was going to be at her place in an hour he should see about getting ready.

* * *

><p>Aaron looked at the keys in his hand, fingering the small gold one before slipping them back in his pocket. He really should have given them back to her weeks ago but every time he was with her the thought left his mind as being unimportant at the moment. Although, he suspected that subconsciously he wanted that tie to her and was unwilling to give it up, so conveniently he forgot. That was likely the more honest reason for their continued presence in his pocket.<p>

But he had to wonder at why she had never asked for their return. If there was one thing he had learned about Emily Prentiss, it was that she would never have forgotten something as vital to her home security as a missing set of keys.

He gave the glass a tap and waved at Frank who was standing behind the front desk. The older man was on the phone and at the moment looking quite harassed about something. He waved back and pressed the small button that would allow Hotch entrance to the building. It really said something about the change in their relationship that the security guard knew him by name and vice versa. The first time he came to pick Emily up, he was grilled by the grandfatherly older man and eventually had to pull out his credentials to prove that he was acceptable enough to get a pass to see "Miss Emily".

It wouldn't have surprised him in the slightest if he had been asked his intentions towards the woman. Frank was that protective of Emily, regardless of the fact that she was a decorated FBI agent and he knew that. And the thing that most people who knew him would find remarkable was the fact that Aaron had no issue humoring the older man and was more than happy to put up with his fussing over his Miss Emily.

As Aaron stepped on the elevator he was tempted to laugh as Frank smacked his hand over his eyes and let out a loud groan but his stance and manner all spoke of someone who was enjoying the harassment he was receiving. If he had to hazard a guess, he would have to say the woman on the other end of the phone was Frank's wife.

Wasn't love just grand, he thought with a please smile. Because one of the things that learned in the first month was that Frank and his wife had been married for almost forty years and in Frank's opinion, still going strong.

When he tapped on the door he was shocked at how fast she opened it.

"Why didn't you just buzz me? You didn't have to come up."

He stood there feeling a little dumb because the first answer that was on his lips was not the one that she needed to hear right now, especially since they hadn't had that talk yet. Every time in the past six months that he got too close, too fast it caused Emily to back pedal and seem unsure of him. He didn't want to frighten her off before they even got a chance to get going.

So he figured that telling her that it was proper for a gentleman to pick up and escort back to her door, a lady he was, for want of a better word… courting.

And to Aaron, that was exactly what he was doing, even if she didn't know it yet.

In the end he gave her one of his patent sidelong looks, almost seeming to question her sanity for even asking such a question, and chose to say nothing.

He held her coat open for her and helped her to slip it onto her shoulders. "So why are we going to Seneca Creek Park, in the dark?"

She gave him a bright smile and her eyes lit up with joy. "Christmas lights!"

"Christmas lights?" Hotch questioned as Emily picked up a small carry-all and flapped her hands at him to leave.

She closed the door, flipped the key in the deadbolts before turning and headed to the elevator and the main floor. "Yep, and you don't even have to get out of your car."

"I thought it was a type of natural reserve?"

"A part of it is, part of it is recreational, and a part of it is Winter Lights Festival." Emily's voice was full of enthusiasm as she clutched his arm.

She had that over excited look in her eyes again and Hotch just knew this was going to be another of her memories she was sharing. "I take it you have been before."

"Yes. Not for years, but once you have seen it, you never forget."

They exited the elevator together and both snickered at Frank who was still on the phone and still being harassed by his wife. He waved to them both as they passed the desk with a bright smile and rolled his eyes as he pointed to the phone.

Hotch helped Emily into his car and scurried around to the other side, trying desperately not to wipe out on the soft blanket of snow covering the ground. As he climbed into the car it was to the sight of Emily sitting there, a twinkle in her eyes and both gloved hands covering her mouth, trying to hide the fact that she was laughing at him.

"Alright, that's enough out of you." He said with mirth in his tone.

"Sorry." And he could tell that she wasn't, not in the slightest.

Emily managed to calm herself down and dropped her hands in her lap but the corners of her lips still twitched.

Hotch reached out and punched the park into the GPS before pulling out into traffic. "Okay, so how does this work?"

"It's a 3.5 mile loop; you pay at the main gate and then travel the loop by car. All of the displays are set up around the road side so you can sit in your car and watch, and all of the proceeds to go to charities in the area."

As Aaron pulled the car out onto the highway he gripped Emily's hand in his own, giving it a soft squeeze before returning his hand to the wheel. "Thank you for suggesting this. I was feeling a little isolated tonight and I think I needed to get out."

"That's what I'm here for."

Emily leaned back in her seat and enjoyed the quiet and the view as it blew past the window. She allowed the warm feeling to settle in her chest. She was getting to unexpectedly spend the evening with Aaron and had managed to make him feel better.

It was a win, win all around.

* * *

><p>As they sat in line waiting to get through the main gate, Emily unbuckled her seatbelt and turned so that she was facing him. She propped her head up in her hand and finally asked the question that had been nagging at the back of her mind since he phoned.<p>

"So what has you so glum this evening?"

Aaron let out a bone weary sigh and allowed the car to creep forward, trying to figure out how to explain to her what he was feeling. "I talked to Jack tonight."

When he was quiet for too long she gave him a nudge, believing that this was something he needed to talk about. "And…?"

"And I realized that for the first time in a very long time I was going to be alone for Christmas." Saying it out loud he felt a little silly for letting something so small, in the grand scheme of things, affect him this much.

Emily furrowed a brow in thought. "So why didn't you go to Maine with them? You said you were invited."

Hotch pursed his lips and then blew out a breath. "I just didn't see the point. I'll miss Jack but at the same time all it would have been was a week of Haley and me barely being civil to one another and her family trying their level best not to get involved."

"I thought the two of you were getting along better?" Her voice was filled with sadness, having truly hoped that her idea would help them out some.

"We are, but that's only for a couple of hours for breakfast, once a week." He gave her a knowing look. "This would have been for several days. It would have been tense and uncomfortable and in the end I didn't think it was what Jack should remember about Christmas."

"I understand." Emily reached out and gave his arm a gentle squeeze in commiseration.

She turned herself back in her seat as the car started to move forward again. "I can remember more than one Christmas where my parents stood on opposite ends of the room and glared at one another. At the time I didn't understand why they just couldn't be happy together. I get it now and believe me I wish those Christmas' has come a little farther apart. It was bad enough having to spend time with them both once a year."

Aaron frowned at what she was describing and his memories of the short time he knew her parents. If that was the kind of life that she remembered, perhaps it really was better that he let Jack have fun with Haley's family. Besides, there wasn't anything saying they couldn't find some way to make it up once he was home.

They both fell silent as the car finally pulled up to the booth and Aaron had to suck in a deep breath as Emily leaned across the seat to pay the attendant the entrance fee. It took all of his self-control not to reach out and touch her, to run his fingers through her hair, down the line of her back. _She just had to take her jacket off didn't she?_ It provided much less coverage between her skin and his needy hands.

There was a part of him that would have been annoyed if he thought for a moment she would have had any clue as to what she was doing to him, but he knew she didn't. And that level of innocence almost made it worse.

This was growing more and more difficult by the day but if he wanted anything that was going to last with her he had to get her to see that there could be something between them, something more than they had now.

That this companionship that they had now could be so much richer and fulfilling if they would give it a chance.

And that was going to require patience.

And time. After Christmas, he promised himself.

* * *

><p>Emily gave Aaron a poke to point out a small turn off with a bench at the side of the loop. So far they had made it half way through and Emily was smiling ear to ear. Not only from her own memories of the place but from how excited Hotch became at the prospect of bringing Jack here, if they arrived back from Maine early enough.<p>

The start of the loop showcased a 'covered bridge' over the road way that was made up entirely of crystal lights and lasted for about 500 feet and from there it just got better. Even Hotch, who tended not to show what he was thinking and feeling was reacting to the elaborate displays that seemed to grow more fantastic the further they went.

Aaron pulled the car off to the side and shut off the engine. Emily leaped out of the car and Hotch gave her a bewildered look as she waved at him through the windshield. Heaving a deep sigh, he got out of the car and watched as she put a small blanket on the bench, plunked herself down and dug out a thermos.

Aaron raised an eyebrow at Emily as she gave him a coy smile and patted the spot on the folded blanket next to her. "We couldn't have done this inside the car?"

"This is a part of the experience." She patted the blanket again and repressed a grin as he moved over to the bench, knowing she had won again.

He let out a gentle huff of into the cold air and took the seat next to her feeling the chill of the air biting into his skin. Directly across from them was one of the most impressive displays of the loop and he could see why Emily had wanted to stop here. It was the reindeer display listed in the description guide, with a large sleigh taking off of a roof and several reindeer milling about the ground in front. In the distance they could see several of the other displays, including the train station and the barn, which were both impressive in their own right. Rather than being pitch black the displays gave off enough light to give a gentle, soft glow to the area.

This late at night, the traffic was long gone and the two of them felt virtually alone in the middle of nowhere surrounded by the darkness and towering trees. Between the silence and the gentle lighting there was an air of romance that couldn't be faked.

Emily pulled out a couple of paper cups and handed one to him to which Hotch tipped it upside down and then back up right before giving her a strange look.

"What?"

"It's empty."

"Well, of course it's…" Emily gave him an odd look until she noticed that the corner of his lip twitched. "Dumbass."

"You know…" he started off conversationally, "Only you and my ex-wife would ever think to call me that."

"Well, she spent how many years married to you? She had to have had some brains and that there just proves it." Hotch felt his chest fill with warmth and he gave her a bright smile to which her mouth hung open and then snapped shut with an audible click as she realized what she had said.

Aaron chuckled under his breath before shifting closer to her and wrapping an arm around behind her back, tugging her closer to his frame while she tried to gain control over her flaming cheeks.

His gloved finger poked the thermos Emily still held loosely in her grasp. "So what's in the tin can?"

Emily finally gathered her wits about her and handed him her own empty cup before twisting the lid off and waving it under his nose.

Aaron's nose wrinkled up and leaned back slightly from the container.

Emily gave him a dumbfounded look before exclaiming, "Come on Aaron! It's hot chocolate! Who doesn't want hot chocolate?"

"Not a big fan of anything that has to be reheated after it leaves the cow." His expression was completely deadpan but Emily could see the mirth in his eyes.

She rolled her eyes at him before taking the cups back, pouring an equal measure in each one. "This isn't what you are expecting."

"And what am I expecting?" He raised a brow at her in amusement.

"That watery, overly sweet, processed crap you get from a powder package." He gave her a skeptical look as he turned the contents of the steaming cup and watched as it clung to the side, thick and heavy.

She shifted in her seat so she was slightly facing him but was careful to make sure not to dislodge him arm. "Just try it… please?"

Aaron let out a sigh and brought the cup to his lips, sipping at the hot liquid. His eyes widened, pulling the cup away, looking at it again before taking another sip.

"It's almost spicy." His voice showed his surprise as he felt the warmth of the liquid in his chest, the tang and spicy heat a clear surprise.

Her nose turned up and she gave him a condescending look but her lips twitched, causing him to grin. "See. I told you so."

"Okay, I'll give, what's the deal." He prompted when she wouldn't divulge her secret on her own.

"It's Italian Hot Chocolate… with a little variation. One of the cooks at the Italian Consulate taught me how to make it when we lived there."

"What makes it spicy like that?"

She smiled and took a sip, closing her eyes with a look of ecstasy on her face. "Ah… that would be chili, you steep dried chili in the milk before mixing in the other ingredients."

"And let me guess, you made this all your own?" She nodded before taking another sip but refusing to talk further.

Hotch leaned back, pulling Emily into his chest and took another sip as the watched the display move across the small road way.

"I'll learn never to doubt you again."

She patted him on the chest and look up at him from the place her head was resting on his shoulder. "There you go, now you're getting it."

"Thank you for this."

"You're welcome."

She paused as she was about to get out of the car. "You know, if you feel the need to get out you are more than welcome to spend the day with me at my Mother's place. Politics, glad handing, boring snobs, you can keep me company while I sit in the corner, sulk and make fun of them. Should be a new, interesting, special form of torture!"

Emily gave him a bright wide eyed smile as she blinked innocently at him and Aaron had a difficult time repressing his laughter. "Thanks but I think I'll pass."

"Well, if you change your mind, you know the number." With that she slammed the door shut and ran for the front of her building, barely missing wiping out on the icy sidewalk. Aaron almost laughed out loud as her arms flailed about before she found her footing and set off again. Frank held the door to her apartment building open for her and she gave him a soft kiss on the cheek as the older man waved at Aaron and closed the door.

As he pulled back out into the traffic, he marveled at what a couple of hours with her could do for his mood, where before he was feeling depressed and lonely, now the night didn't seem so bad. He would still be alone tomorrow but now he could think back on this night when he was feeling lonely, because at least he wasn't alone anymore.

* * *

><p>The next morning Emily grumbled and crabbed as she exited the elevator. If it wasn't bad enough that it was Christmas and she was alone again this time of year… She had to go and spend the day with her Mother. That wouldn't be too bad except it always came with all of the political faces roaming in and out of the house all day and the 'family' dinner which was more of a networking party than anything else.<p>

She took a deep breath and headed for the front of the building and her waiting cab. As she was passing by the front desk Frank held up a hand to stop her.

"Your young man dropped this off for you a few minutes ago." Emily had to smile at anyone referring to Hotch as a young man. But it had to be Aaron, who was the only person that came to see her that didn't have Frank frowning in disapproval. She wasn't sure if Aaron would be amused or annoyed by the term, but suspected it would be the former.

She tentatively reached out grasped the package, wrapped in green wrap with a gold bow. She carefully turned it over several times determined to figure out what it was without opening it. She didn't often get gifts anymore so this was a special treat.

Frank gave Emily a commiserating smile. "You off to see the family?"

"Yep, wish me luck." She slipped the box into her bag. She would open it when she got home after dinner. By then she was going to need a pick me up.

That thought lasted until she got into the cab and couldn't resist the temptation to find out what it was that Aaron had gotten her. She pulled the package out and laid it in her lap. Every so carefully she pealed back the wrapping and felt tears come to her eyes as she gently traced the name on the cover of the book.

It was hard cover copy of Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut. Her copy had been lost in the move to Washington yet and she hadn't been able to find a replacement.

She leaned back in the seat as she headed to her parent's house, clutching the book to her chest. When she left her apartment she was feeling quiet and off put at having to go to her Mother's idea of Christmas, but at least now she had something to look forward to when she came home.

* * *

><p>Aaron negligently dropped his over coat on the couch and walked over to his desk, stopping mid-step at the small wrapped package resting in the center of his blotter. He picked it up and carefully turned it over in his hands several times before setting it to the side and picking up the card it had been laying on.<p>

He smiled softly as he noticed Emily's writing on the front, his name etched in her bold, flowing print. Carefully, he slipped his finger under the flap and pealed it open, slipping the card from inside.

It was a typical Christmas card with a log cabin, snow, and bright lights. Flipping it open the card Aaron had to swallow around the lump in his throat as he read her words and felt a smile touch his normally stern face.

_Aaron:_

_I just knew if I left you alone you would be in the office on Christmas morning. You could come and spend it with me and you would always be welcome. Keep that in mind as you are leaving. You have my number; all you have to do is call._

_And FYI: I listen to you too._

_Emily_

Aaron set the card down and opened the small box. Inside was an iPod, similar in size to the one that both Emily and Morgan had. He flipped it on and grinned as he saw the content list and all of his favorite songs on it, a remembrance from their night of twenty questions. The night that he figured out that he was falling for her, and falling fast.

He set the small gift aside and pulled his files closer to himself, vowing that once they were finished he would take the rest of the week off, just like the rest of the team. Perhaps see if Emily was busy tomorrow and if they couldn't find something to do.

As he opened the first of his three folders he almost laughed at what he saw, checking the contents of the other two to find them the same. He slapped them closed, tossing them in his out box before getting up, grabbing his jacket and heading for the door.

Perhaps he would call Emily now and see if her offer was still open for dinner tonight.

Because the only thing he had to do today was finished. All three of his remaining open files had their final reports, typed in duplicate and sighed off on.

By none other than SSA Emily Prentiss.

* * *

><p><strong><em>TBC in Chapter Nine – Team Building &amp; Chocolate Surprises<em>**


	9. Team Building & Chocolate Surprises

_**Chapter Nine - Team Building & Chocolate Surprises**_

* * *

><p>Emily slapped at Reid's hands and let out a chuckle. "Find your own damn peanuts Spencer Reid! These ones are mine!"<p>

"But Emily…" came the playful whine in response.

She never even gave him a chance to finish before she stuck out her tongue at him and pulled the small bowl closer to her. Hotch almost laughed at the pout that crossed Reid's face but after killing off the last bowl of the snack the boy shouldn't have been surprised.

As Aaron stood he ran a hand down Emily's arm to get her attention. "Would you like another one?" He tipped his head to indicate her glass, still half full of the pale lager that she had been drinking that evening.

Emily looked down at her glass and considered for a moment, she knew she had already had too much to drink and that she should have stopped after the last one. But with the promise of a ride home from Hotch, she was allowing herself to enjoy the evening out, without worries for a change.

It seemed like it was always her that was carting one of the others home at the end of the night, usually Morgan or Garcia, even Reid once or twice. But tonight when they had made plans to go out for 'team bonding' Aaron had promised to make sure she would get home okay and she jumped at the chance.

Besides that it meant that she got to spend more one on one time with Hotch and that always made her happy. Digging herself deeper into the hole she was already in.

"Yes." She gave a hard nod of her head and smiled up at their supervisor. "That would be positively lovely." She closed her eyes and snickered at the loose wobbly feeling in her neck muscles.

Aaron chuckled under his breath as he moved away from the table and threaded his way through the small pub they were all in.

He cataloged the positions of all of the team in the building and smiled at the various activities they were engaged in.

Reid had wandered away and was now standing next to the pool tables. And if he had to guess JJ and Will were attempting to rope the poor boy into trying to learn how to shoot pool again. It was comical to say the least because for as much as he could calculate the exact trajectory of a shot, the relative strength needed to sink the ball he had little to no coordination when it came to actually performing the activity. It was right up there with his difficulty with his fire arms qualifications and after having to go through that with him every year he wished Will and JJ better luck.

Aaron leaned back against the bar and watched as Garcia and Kevin bickered over the merits of the latest film that they had gone to see. They had been at it for at least the last half hour and it didn't seem to be winding down any time soon. That was another unexpected paring, one he wouldn't have seen coming but was more the happy for. She was such a unique and loving woman it was honestly sad that she didn't have an outlet for everything that she was, other than the team. But this guy seemed to get her and she shined in his presence.

He stopped and watched as Will laughed at JJ's frustration as she once again, tried to explain to Spencer why the last shot he was attempting wasn't going to work. He had a momentary thought that as unexpected as it was Will was remarkably good for JJ, he had seen her relax in the last year, she seemed to have found that missing piece that she was always striving for, and it all came in the form of a tranquil New Orleans native.

Dave, unsurprisingly was saddled up to the bar and doing is best to flirt is way into an invite home from the pretty barmaid. Every single time they were here he tried, and if nothing else, Aaron had to admire his persistence.

He supposed at some point he was going to have to let the poor guy know that Shelley was gay, although he was pretty sure only he and JJ knew that little tidbit.

Honestly, she didn't seem to mind the attention from the older man so maybe he should just keep his mouth shut.

He peaked along the bar to see if Shelley was on her way over and then shrugged as Dave continued chattering along, keeping her monopolized. Returning his attention to the floor, he looked at the remaining two members of his team. Derek had made his way over and had taken over the seat left vacant by Reid.

He and Emily sat hunched over the table, watching the smattering of people on the dance floor and Hotch smiled as Derek said something that caused the woman to snicker from behind her hand. It was odd seeing Derek just sitting around but with his leg being the way that it was he certainly couldn't be out dancing like he normally would be.

"So what'll it be hansom?" came the soft south Virginia twang from behind him.

He turned to Shelley and smiled at the relieved look in her eyes. "Another for Emily and just a coffee for me, if you can find some back there."

"Sure thing Hotch, figured it was getting about that time, just made a fresh pot."

This was why they kept coming back to this little hole in the wall. Shelley always took care of them and she spent a significant amount of time and effort at getting to know each of them personally.

She glanced over at the table before asking, "Want another Sprite for Derek?"

"Why not, couldn't hurt." He shrugged his shoulder and watched as Shelley moved with practiced ease behind the bar.

Shelley tipped her head to the side as she looked at the table. "It's odd; I don't ever think I've seen him spend this much time sitting down. Lord only knows how disappointed his groupies are."

Hotch nodded his head in agreement, remembering more than one pouting woman being turned away from the table that night. "He pulled the muscles in his bad knee during the last case; it's giving him a bit of a hard time tonight."

"He's taking muscle relaxants?" When Hotch nodded she grinned. "Well, that explains the Sprite."

Shelley rolled her eyes at Hotch as Rossi started to make his way down to where they were standing.

She leaned and said with a conspiratorial whisper, "He's not ever gonna give up, is he?"

"No, not until you tell him."

"But that would spoil all his fun." She winked and passed the drinks to him. When he tried to pay, she flapped her hands at him. "These ones are on me."

As she moved away to the next customer he looked down at the bar top and smiled as he noticed the glass of scotch mixed in with his order. Yep, there was a reason they kept coming back.

Rossi snagged his glass and leaned back against the bar with a sigh and Hotch had to grin at the look on his friends face. "Still a no go?"

"Nope, but that's not going to stop me from trying."

They shared a grin as Aaron started to collect their drinks and attempted to head back to the table. Rossi grabbed Derek's drink and smirked as he looked back at Emily.

When Dave didn't move but turned to face Hotch instead, he almost groaned at the look he was getting from the older man. He had seen this look before and knew that he wasn't going to get away from the older man till he said his piece. "Whatever is going on with the two of you… it's a good thing."

_Hmmm, best to play dumb…_ "What do you mean?"

"You and Emily, the last couple of months, the time you two have been spending together, it's good."

_Right, knew that wouldn't work…_ "We're just friends Dave." Even saying that he couldn't help but wish that it was something more, given time that it would be.

"And I never said it was anything else." Rossi got a pensive look on his face before he continued. "There's always been a certain tension between the two of you. Even though you have always been too professional to let it affect the team, we've all seen it."

Aaron had the grace to look slightly embarrassed. "We didn't have the best start and after a while it just became habit."

"I heard about how she started with the unit and I can understand that. I think I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of people there now, you didn't hand pick."

Hotch closed his eyes for a moment and let out a silent groan, before setting the drinks back on the bar beside him. "But…?"

"I was just wondering…" The look on Dave's face was anything but innocent or even curious, as he spoke.

"Spit it out Dave." Now Hotch was getting annoyed. His feelings, the possible relationship between himself and Emily was still new, and as yet un-discussed; he didn't need Dave poking around yet.

Only two weeks had passed since Christmas and most of that was spent working on a case in Arizona. He still hadn't had the opportunity to talk to Emily about moving their relationship to a more romantic level, he was hoping for tonight.

"If there wasn't something more between you, she looks at you, you look at her, and I have to wonder if there isn't something more going on."

"Dave, please… stop meddling." He grabbed his glasses again turned back to the table.

"Honestly, I'm not. I just wanted to say that the change… it's good."

Aaron rolled his eyes and started back. Ever since the divorce became final, it seemed that David Rossi had made it his mission to make sure that Hotch wasn't alone for very long and now he seemed to have decided that Prentiss would be a good choice.

Not that Aaron himself disagreed with that sentiment, far from it in fact.

As he set down the drinks he considered he thought she would be too. Since they started seeing each other away from work, he had felt a change in himself. The distance he had from the team was dissolving and it wasn't even intentional. He could feel the difference. He was smiling more than he had in years and the days didn't seem as overwhelming as they did even six months ago.

She didn't let him go more than a few hours alone in his office before she came to bother him. Sometimes it was just a file she wanted to turn in. Whereas before she saved them for the end of the day, now she would bring them up one at a time. Often as an excuse to coax him down for coffee or badger him into taking lunch with her.

The last couple of months he had taken to spending at least one afternoon down in the bullpen, with a chair pulled up to Reid's desk, working on his files, rather than hold up in his office.

He was learning more about his team in the last six months that he had in the last six years, and all of it because of a bright, friendly, dark haired woman.

As the night progressed Dave wandered over to the pool tables and Derek ambled off to enjoy the company of the only groupie that didn't care if he was dancing and left the two of them alone.

Not that he was at all unhappy with that. He was finding that he enjoyed these quiet moments with Emily more and more as time passed and as much as he loved the team he often found he couldn't wait to get her alone.

They were both leaning on the table, heads close together and he smiled as Emily snickered. Shelley made her way back towards the bar and skillfully managed to avoid Rossi's hands once again, giving him a smile and a playful swat.

Emily rested her chin on Hotch's shoulder and whispered softly in his ear. "He does know she's gay right?"

Hotch raised is brow, okay so he and JJ were not the only ones who knew. "Nope."

"Are we gonna tell him?" Emily pulled back to look at him and wobbled slight on her stool causing Aaron to grab her hand and help balance her.

When she was steady he allowed their entwined fingers to rest on his upper thigh.

He shook his head with a slight grin. "Nope."

Emily bumped shoulders with him. "You are kind of bad, you know that?"

He shrugged as he looked at the dark haired woman behind the bar. "She doesn't seem to mind and he enjoys chasing her. At this point I don't even think he wants to catch her."

Emily smiled and went back to observing the bar around them.

A soft song came on and he finally found the nerve he had been working up to most of the night. It was time to see if he couldn't get her to see what could be between them. If he wanted more with her he was going to have to change the way that he interacted with her, and this would be a good place to start.

Up till now the changes between them had been completely personal, no one really knew what was going on but if he did this, it would be telling the team at least, what his intentions were for the other profiler.

Hotch pushed himself out of his chair and held out his other hand to Emily, causing her eyes to widen with surprise.

"Dance with me?" he questioned softly.

She carefully placed her hand in his and he led her over to a small section of floor. It was a little darker there, providing them with, at least some, privacy. The music was soft and seductive and as Hotch pulled her into his arms he felt his blood thrum with excitement at having her in his arms, so close. Having it not matter how he was touching her, or how close he was standing.

She was flush against his body, allowing her alcohol loosened muscles to rest against him, trusting him to help hold her up. While they held the traditional pose for dancing there was no space between them. Aaron leaned his head down so that his cheek was against hers and Emily almost gasped as he breathed in through his nose, inhaling her scent. His arm slid down her back, wrapping completely around her waist, pulling her flush against him so that not even air could get between.

She panted softly at the feel of his body swaying against hers to the soft beat of the music. Through the haze of alcohol in her system she wondered at the shift she could feel in him. Was it real, or was it simply a product of her own wants manifesting, making her read into the situation what she wanted instead of what was really there. She had thought for a time that perhaps things were changing between them but he had seemed to pull back from her a bit and while she was grateful at the time it didn't mean that she didn't miss the way that her blood raced through her veins.

In that moment she was reminded though, that she was a warm blooded woman… and that she had definitely been alone for far too long.

Emily let her head tip back and she glanced up at him, their eyes caught and held.

For long moments the music and each other were the only things that existed. Aaron brought their joined hands to his chest before letting go.

Carefully, sensually he trailed his hand down her forearm before allowing it to slip off and rest on her hip, pulling her closer, letting her feel the full length of him against her own body as they gently swayed back and forth, their feet no longer moving.

She left her hand on his chest; she had to be able to feel the way that his heart was racing. He could feel the need coursing through his blood and that combined with the music, with the feel of her soft, pliant body was enough to push past his tightly held control.

Just as he was about to lower his head, feeling her breath on his face, when he thought he would finally be able taste her soft lips, he felt the vibrations against his hip. Aaron closed his eyes and actually groaned with disappointment.

Still keeping her wrapped up in arms he reached one hand back and pulled off his phone. Looking at the display on the front he felt disappointment rush through him. There went their plans for the rest of the evening, another date blown by a job that they both loved.

"Hotchner," His voice as a low growl and the person on the other end had to know how displeased he was at the moment.

Emily rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and just listened to the sound of his voice as he talked to the person on the other end of the line. Whatever it was, it was serious because she could feel the tension returning to him, tension that had been missing most of the night and she let out a disappointed sigh.

Not in the interruption of their night but that he was losing one of the few chances he actually had to relax. Well, if she was honest, a part of her was disappointed about their plans, too.

He snapped his phone shut and glanced across the bar at JJ, seeing that she was already on her phone, and already on the move.

He reached a hand up and traced the side of Emily's face with the tips of his fingers, allowing the real regret he was feeling to show in his eyes.

"I'm sorry; I have to go back in."

She looked at him with a furrowed brow, wondering at how bad it could be. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, I'm hoping that it's nothing; that we can take care of this tonight with a consult over the phone. There's a possible case in Oregon and it's going to be a media frenzy when it breaks, that has the locals a bit panicked."

Emily nodded her head and disentangled from his frame, realizing with a blush that she was still wrapped up in his arms.

"I'm sorry about dinner. I promise I'll make it up to you."

She gave him a soft smile and shook her head. "Aaron, I understand. You don't have to apologize."

He led her back over to the table and grabbed his jacket before heading for where Derek sitting a couple of tables away.

He gave the other man a slightly apologetic look. "Morgan, I have to go back to the office. Can you make sure Prentiss gets home okay? I was her ride tonight."

"Sure thing Hotch," Derek grinned at his friend, everyone knew that Emily had too much to drink to be driving home. Having relied on Hotch to take care of her and make sure she got home okay. "Pull up a chair Princess."

Hotch met JJ at the door and gave one final sigh of regret, he glanced back at Emily, who was watching him from the table where he left her before heading out into the night.

Somehow, he was going to find a way to make this up to her.

* * *

><p>"Hush. No questions… always you with the questions. Just sit back and relax, we'll be there shortly." Aaron did his best to contain his smile and was slowly losing the battle.<p>

Emily flopped herself back against the seat and huffed. But for all of her pretense at annoyance, this was one of the things that she found she most enjoyed about Hotch's hidden personality traits. She had seen moments of it in the last year but nothing like what came out when he wasn't repressing his natural behavior.

He was quite playful and loved surprises.

Somehow it was never something she had expected of him.

She never knew what to expect from him and what he always seemed to enjoy most was watching how she reacted to each new thing they did together.

And this time was no exception, as she let out a gasp as he pulled into the parking lot. It was an out of the way, hole in the wall that no one would have thought to look for in a place like this. But she had heard a couple of people down in the cafeteria talking about it and had always wanted to come but never thought she would have the chance.

It really wasn't the type of place you came to alone or when you were out with your girlfriends… this was the place where you brought a date. It was, in a word, intimate.

Hotch climbed out of the car and helped Emily out and kept a firm grasp of her hand as he led her to the door.

A young woman came over to them and without him having to say anything to her lead them to a table in the back, discretely placing two of the black "late night" menus on the table. The hostess' behavior seemed to add to the ambiance of the place.

Aaron pulled out her chair and she glanced about the room taking in the dark wood paneling and soft deep carpets. She guessed that this was the advantage to being here on a Tuesday night. The room was almost empty and there was distance from one table to the next, it was like being virtually alone.

Although from what she was able to understand from her rampant eavesdropping, it always felt that way. She glanced at her companion as he pushed the menus to the side of the table without looking at them.

She figured that he would have to know what he was doing. Hotch was nothing if not prepared for anything. Emily wearily leaned back on the high backed chair and closed her eyes as she enjoyed the low lighting and soft gentle music flowing around the room.

"Tired?" his voice was soft so as not to disturb the illusion of peace surrounding them.

She turned her head to the side and gave him an easy smile. "Very much so, it's been a long few days."

Aaron tipped his head to the side and looked her over, she had dark circles under her eyes and it was more than obvious that she hadn't been sleeping well. "You look tired."

She considered mouthing off at him but she gave up that thought. It was a defense mechanism and one that she was trying to give up in her dealings with Hotch.

"I know." And she did, she knew she did.

His brow furrowed with concern. "You're not sleeping?"

"Little bit but…" She didn't want to say it, not out loud; she didn't want work to intrude on this place.

Hotch gave her a gentle prodding. "Nightmares?"

"Off and on, since we came home from Oakland." She let out a defeated sigh and accepted that they were going to talk about this. But perhaps this could be a good thing, she could finally ask. "Why doesn't it seem to get to you?"

He gave her a sympathetic look. "It's practice Emily, lots and lots of practice. You have to remember that I've been doing this for over ten years now, off and on. But we aren't so different. I get them, same as you, same as all the others."

Aaron reached out and gripped her hand in his own and Emily allowed the feeling of warmth to fill her as she turned her head and looked out the window, letting the darkness cover her thoughts, finally allowing herself to relax.

The waitress came over to the table and Hotch spoke quietly as he placed their orders. She smiled at the fact that he didn't ask her what she wanted. Normally he would but this seemed to be another part of the surprises for the night.

His phone rang and he softly apologized before getting up from the table and moving a short distance away. She felt her face soften as she figured out who it was he was talking to. There was only one person in the world that caused quite that look to appear on Hotch's normally stern face.

Jack.

She watched with no small amount of wonder it how much his appearance changed. When he smiled, especially that particular smile, he looked so much younger, almost carefree and it was amazing to see. Something she had been witness to more and more often since this strange little arrangement of theirs started.

Over the last year or so she had watched him as he became more distant, more closed off. That hard shell that seemed to surround him became tighter and tighter and like everyone else she felt completely helpless to stop it. She tried, hell, they had all tried.

Gideon leaving had changed him, in fundamental ways.

She shook her head as he hung up the phone. Not wanting to dwell on things that seemed to be very much in the past. Even Reid had commented that Hotch was more relaxed that he had ever seen him, even before she arrived on the team.

Aaron was heading back over to the table as the waitress arrived and Emily let out a gasp at what she was carrying.

What she had been secretly hoping they were here for since she saw where they were.

Hotch took the seat next to her rather than the one he had been sitting at before he took his call. He smiled again, that same smile, as he watched the expression on her face. As soon as everything was all set up he finally gave up the urge that he had been trying to control for most of the last few days.

He trailed the back of his hand down the side of her face and repressed the need to close his eyes and the feel of her soft skin under his hand.

It was coming… there time was coming, and soon.

"I do listen to the things that you say," he whispered quietly.

Emily pressed her cheek into the palm of his hand, before turning to the display on the table in front of them.

There was a small pot, placed above a small votive candle and she leaned forward to breathe in the deep rich smell of the chocolate and smiled as she realized that he really did listen. Honestly, she didn't think that anyone other than Reid and JJ knew about her burning love affair with chocolate, in all forms.

"I haven't done this in years."

Hotch would never admit it but he had spent days trying to find the perfect place to take her. It seemed like half the time when they made plans something always came up and interfered.

So when he started to plan this night, he wanted to do something low key, that wouldn't matter if it got canceled but still showed her that he paid attention to her, heard the things that she said.

Over the last few of months, since that day in the quad that thought alone became one of the most important in his mind.

For her to understand how he really felt about her, how important she was, how more important she was becoming by the day.

So this was what he had come up with, a small little out of the way fondue restaurant that served a special late night chocolate fondue desert. He had called several days ago and quizzed the poor hostess to make sure that this would be exactly what he wanted. He was fairly surprised that he got a smile when they arrived instead of a glare.

He would have to remember to leave her an extra-large tip just for that. He did kind of give her a hard time.

Emily looked at the offerings on the table and inhaled the scents surrounding her. The smell of deep, rich, dark chocolate and strong, hot coffee with just a touch of Irish cream in it filled her senses and she could feel her mouth water from the smell alone.

There was fruit of every description on small serving platters, from strawberries and pineapple, to bits of passion fruit and maraschino cherries. There was another plate with small bits of firm cake and mini marshmallows, making her laugh joyously.

It was totally decedent and in that moment she fell just a little bit in love with the man sitting at the table with her.

Aaron picked up the fondue fork and speared a small bit of banana before dipping it carefully in the chocolate. She watched his strong hand as he twirled the fork, coating it completely. He lifted it to his own lips and blew on it, cooling the confection before presenting it to her.

She didn't think to object, just opened her mouth and accepted the small treat he offered her. Closing her eyes in bliss as the flavors exploded on her tongue.

"Oh God I love chocolate!" she mumbled around the small bit of fruit.

"I know." His voice was deep and husky and as Emily's eyes opened she was captured by the look in his.

For long moments they just sat and stared at each other, each communicating a thousand thoughts, and a thousand feelings. Finally Aaron gave his head a small shake and pulled back slightly, they weren't ready for this.

Not yet anyway.

But hopefully, after what he had planned for the weekend they finally would be. She would know, without a doubt that he was trying to shift the nature of their relationship.

After that they dug into the fondue and both enjoyed it immensely. They would alternate between enjoying their own finds in the twelve different kinds of fruit and sharing with the other one, offering bits and pieces from their forks.

Everything changed again in a moment when a small marshmallow fell from the stick and onto Aaron's plate as she was passing it to his lips. Without thought she picked up the bit of gooey chocolate coated marshmallow in the tips of her fingers and offered it up to him.

Hotch felt his pulse race as he firmly gripped her wrist, holding her hand still as he accepted the offering. When she attempted to pull her hand back he gripped her wrist tighter and stared at her, holding her eyes captive with his own dark orbs.

His tongue carefully lapped at first her forefinger, then her thumb, alternately sucking each digit into his mouth, making sure to not miss a single drop of the warm dark chocolate, or the flavor of her skin.

Emily puffed softly, as she attempted to control her breathing, feeling the rhythmic stroke of his tongue against her skin, his teeth gently nipping at the pad of her thumb. She could feel her face heat and it wasn't from embarrassment but from the shear fire he was causing to rage through her blood.

She wasn't sure what was going on with Aaron but it was breaking down every last barrier she had left. The whole thing over the last six months had left her so unsure of herself, of him, that she often didn't know how to react. He would run both directions from simple friendly interactions, to this burning heat that left her feeling scorched.

In all the time she had known him Aaron had always been upfront and forthright in everything that he did, but things were changing and she was honestly terrified because a very real part of her was so afraid that she was reading everything wrong… that the things she was hoping for weren't really there.

He had said that this was just supposed to be friendship… but it didn't matter what he had said when he was touching her the way that he did sometimes, but when the touch was gone, the insecurities set in again.

Finally Hotch allowed her to pull her hand back and she tucked it in her lap, letting out a soft nervous giggle. She looked off across the restaurant and tried to get this feeling flowing through her body under control.

She didn't know how to handle this feeling, how to keep it contained. For the hundredth time since this all started she had to remind herself that there was no expectations, only friendships but how did she manage that when her feelings were changing and continued to change by the minute.

Emily did her best to push the feeling back down and find her center again, something that was becoming harder and harder to do by the minute.

She cleared her throat and did the best she could to distract herself. "Thank you for this. This place is definitely going on my list of top ten places to visit again."

"You're welcome. I must admit that I enjoyed this. I'm not a big fan of chocolate but this was wonderful. I honestly feel like I've been doing something totally decadent."

Hotch wanted to press, push the moment she was trying to back away from but he could see that cornered look in her eyes and let it pass but there was a soft smile on his face as he leaned back in his chair and picked up what remained of his spiced coffee.

He had to repress the urge to grin like an idiot. He finally had proof that she wasn't completely immune to him and that perhaps there was a chance. That all of the thoughts and feelings he had been hoping for might come to fruition.

On the dance floor, in her apartment, both of those could have been brushed off as aberrations caused by drink or the moment but this couldn't be. Neither of them had been drinking and while the moment was romantic it wasn't overly so. Finally he knew what he was going to do and when. And for the first time since he started to make plans for the weekend he was sure of the outcome.

They finished their coffee in companionable silence before Hotch stood to go and handle the bill. Emily snagged one last maraschino cherry from the table and headed for where Hotch was standing by the door, waiting for her.

She felt a goofy smile cover her face, that he would do something like this for her. She could tell by the way that he spoke that this wasn't some where he had ever been before so he had to have decided to find this place, specifically because of her love for all things chocolate.

She was sinking deeper by the day and a part of her didn't want to escape.

As they moved off to the car she felt a lingering sadness envelope her that this was all it would ever be, that this man that she was getting to know would only ever remain her friend, and while she would never want to give that up, she couldn't help but wish for something more.

Because in Aaron Hotchner, she was finding the friend, the man, she had always wanted.

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><p><strong><em>TBC in Chapter Ten – Skyrise Eden Part One<em>**

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><p><em>Author's Note: This is another one of my special favorite chapters. If any of you are ever in Alberta, Canada, find your way to Banff and a small restaurant called The Grizzly House and have the late night chocolate fondue. It's an experience you don't want to miss, completely decedent and something that should be shared. <em>

_Blessings, Brandywyne_


	10. Skyrise Eden  Part One

_**Chapter Ten – Sky Rise Eden Part One**_

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><p><em>Author's Note: In honour of the Seventh Season Premiere I'm posting this part even though the revisions are not completed, in essence nothing in the revisions will change this chapter and I wanted to get something out there after so long. I have been working on this since I started my holidays and am making a fair amount of progress. When the next chapter is posted the revisions should be done and I'll be posting all of the changes at that time. Read and enjoy…<em>

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><p>Hotch stood in front of the display case and diddled from foot to foot. There was no way that this should be this hard. Over the years he had done this dozens of times, picked up flowers on the way home from work or for a special day. But as he stood in front of the cooler holding the arrangements he was tempted to sneer at how cliché they all seemed.<p>

Perhaps something else would be a better idea. She loved chocolate, he still had time. He could pick her up some chocolate. Maybe chocolate would be better. And he was starting to obsess.

Aaron was tempted to growl in frustration over his absolute inability to make a decision on something so simple. But there was too much riding on this night, everything had to be perfect. Tonight was the night he was going to finally have the talk with Emily. Tell her how he was feeling, what he wanted to happen with them and then pray that he had read her right and that she wanted those things too. So as a result, nothing was allowed to go wrong.

All he had to manage to do is pick a flower. How hard could it be?

"Can I help you sir?" came a soft, tentative voice from behind him.

He looked over his shoulder at the young girl and sighed. "I have a date tonight and I wanted to get her flowers but I don't know what kind to pick."

She looked horribly intimidated talking to him and he felt guilty. She couldn't have been eighteen yet and here he was making her job harder by sounding like a hard ass. He gave her a small smile and breathed a sigh of relief when she relaxed marginally.

The young girl, Tracy her name tag said, moved up so that she was standing next to him and looked in the case. "Well, roses are always a safe bet."

His eyes lost focus as he thought about it for a moment. "Too traditional, too common and she's anything but that and this night is important so it has to be different… special."

"Okay…" She looked about the shelves around her and shrugged. "Tell me something about her and I'll see if I can point you in the right direction."

"She's…" He floundered for a moment as he tried to think of how to describe Emily to the young girl. He knew a thousand things about her; could list her favorite music, favorite books, detail exactly how she smelt, the feel of her skin but to stand here and try and describe her…

"I don't know." he said on a sigh.

"Well, is she traditional or more modern?" Tracy's voice got a little more confident as she warmed up to the conversation. For as imposing as this man was when he walked in the door he really wasn't all that different from every other guy that came through the door. She just had to pin down what he wanted.

"A bit of both really." He scuffed the toe of his shoe on the floor and frowned again.

"Practical or imaginative?"

Hotch sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Who the hell said that he had to bring her flowers anyway? This really was too complicated.

"She's… completely rational and analytical, but at the same time she can get so excited by something new and different." His shoulders slumped as he glanced at the girl. "I wanted flowers but they are almost too transient, a plant is out of the question because she travels a lot."

He looked around him again and let out a grunt of dissatisfaction. "Never mind. This was a bad idea."

The girl stood there with a small frown of concentration on her face and Hotch was just about to leave with she flapped her hands at him.

She practically jumped up and down on the spot with excitement. "Oh! I have the perfect idea! She'll love it, I promise!"

With that she took off for the back of the store and left a bemused Hotch standing in the middle of the shop for several moments. He listened to her clunking around in the back of the shop and smiled at her muttered curses as she prepared whatever it was that sent her racing back in the first place.

After several minutes of him wandering around the small store examining the multitude of items littering the shelves, she finally came back and placed her offering on the counter, looking nervously for his reaction.

Aaron tipped his head to the side, considering it. A small smile crossing his lips as he ran his finger along the edge of the glass bowl, listening carefully to the information Tracy was giving him about the flower…

"If she keeps it watered it will last for months but at the same time if she forgets… it's still a cut flower, it's supposed to die."

"It's perfect." His voice was soft and he gave the girl a smile in thanks for finding this for him. She rang up his purchase as he looked at the flower, he was so glad he had come to this store, instead of going to another.

Tracy told him his total and he placed double the amount in the palm of her hand, gripping it for a brief moment before picking up the flower, giving her a warm smile.

"Thank you so much Tracy."

Hotch turned and left the store, smiling as she sputtered over the tip he had left behind. It was more than worth it, because he just knew Emily was going to love this. And it was guaranteed to last longer than chocolate.

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><p>Emily stood in front of the full length mirror and fussed with her dress, turning each way to get a good look at it before throwing her hands up in the air.<p>

This would have been so much simpler if Hotch would have just told her where they were going… But since her birthday had landed when they were out of town on their last case, he decided that they needed to do something to commemorate it. But after securing her agreement to going out this night he had been dead silent ever since, refusing to divulge even the smallest detail. Instead he walked around with this small secretive smile on his face and it was _driving her completely insane_!

Of course in typical fashion he adamantly refused to tell her where they were going, just that it was formal. That was a lot of help to her. Inside, outside, political fundraiser formal or dinner formal, any of these things would have helped this process at least a little. In the end though she couldn't find it in herself to be upset about it because he seemed to get a great deal of enjoyment out of surprising her and god only knew the man could use a little more enjoyment in his life.

She looked down at her dress again before giving up on worrying over it. She was torn and of two minds at the moment. She had to remind herself that this wasn't really a date; he was only taking her out because it had been her birthday and he wouldn't care what she wore, so long as she was presentable.

But the other part of her, the young woman that still hadn't been destroyed by too many bad relationships, was a mass of nerves, wanting so badly to impress him and have him want to be on a real date with her, wondered with the way he had been behaving the last few months, if that's what this was.

Nothing with Aaron was ever simple and this was a perfect case in point. Aaron was always forthright and clear in what he was doing; he never left anyone to guess at his motivations. But this time, what he was saying and what he was doing were two completely different things making her feel unsure on her feet in how to act or re-act with him. She had moments where she was sure that it was just as he had laid out that day in the quad, friends and nothing more, and other times, when he touched her in a certain way, or smiled that little smile that seemed to be reserved just for her, she had to wonder if things were changing between the two of them.

Snarling at herself, she shoved both thoughts from her mind, determined that she would forget all of the confusion and worry and just enjoying the evening. And if there was one thing she had learned these past months, it was an evening she would enjoy. Aaron was meticulous in making sure that everything went exactly as he expected it to.

Control freak… one of the things she was learning to love about him.

Grabbing her clutch off the bed, she headed down stairs to wait for Aaron to arrive.

Hotch shifted from foot to foot before gently knocking on the front door, so quietly he doubted she would have heard it from directly on the other side. He rolled his eyes at himself before giving another, harder wrap on the polished wood.

He and Emily had been out dozens of times since the previous summer and this really was no different. There was no reason for him to be feeling this nervous, although he had great hopes of how things were going to change by the end of the night and that was feeding his anxiety.

And as the door opened that thought left his mind, along with _every other_ senescent thought he had.

Emily stood before him, framed by the doorway, the soft light from the other room giving her an ethereal glow. All and all she looked amazing.

All of her long dark hair was piled up on the top of her head, held place by several glittery pins and cascaded down in soft curls, allowing soft tendrils to frame her face. She was dressed the in most remarkable deep blue evening dress, it landed just past her knees, slightly longer in the back than the front almost reaching her ankles and highlighted every long glorious inch of skin.

Rather than towering heels she wore simple, sensible black pumps and in contrast to what he would have expected they seemed to draw attention to how tall she was rather than minimizing it.

The dress was one of those off the shoulder type things that left her shoulders and neck exposed and rather than flashy jewelry that he was used to seeing on the women at events like they were going to, she had small diamond studs in her ears and a small matching pendent hanging from an elegant silver chain.

The thing seemed to be pointing at her cleavage and in that moment, he would have given anything to just back her into her apartment, forget the dinner, and keep her locked away with him forever, forget sharing her with the rest of the world.

The longer he stood there, gawking at her like an idiot the brighter her smile got. She finally saved him from having to say anything intelligent by opening the door wider and walking back into the main part of the apartment.

And good lord if the back didn't look better than the front. He could see every inch of skin from her neck all the way down to the curve of her lower back and he had to curl his hand into a fist to keep from reaching out and touching all of that soft skin.

_How the hell did she keep the dress on?_

He followed behind her and watched as she moved over to the island as she turned back to him he held out his hands in offering.

"This is for you." He placed the object carefully in her outstretched palms and watched closely for her reaction.

Emily reached out and cupped the small centerpiece bowl in both hands, holding it up to the light and marveled at its contents. It was small enough that her hands fit around it comfortably but not so small that it would get lost sitting on a table or counter. She got a soft smile on her face as she reached in a single finger and gently petted the baby soft petal of the flower contained within.

"It's called 'love's afterglow', it's a type of Japanese lily." His voice was soft, almost nervous as he moved closer to her so that his chest brushed up against her arm and again, fought the urge to reach out and touch her.

She held the bowl up a little higher and took in the gift that he had brought her. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and violently blinked them back. This was by far the most romantic flower she had ever received, it's certainly beat the crap out of the standard roses she would normally get.

Emily turned her head and smiled up at him, she was completely done for. There was no longer any wonder, no confusion.

She was in love with Aaron Hotchner.

Now she just had to decide how she was going to deal with that new knowledge.

Her voice was husky and soft when she spoke and there was a film of moisture over her eyes. "Thank you so much, it's very beautiful."

She moved away from him and set it on the counter before stepping back to look at it. The small bowl was half filled with a deep indigo blue gel, resting gently on top was a salmon pink water lily with a bright yellow center. The contrast of the two colors in the flower was remarkable, adding into that the blue water gel it was enchanting to look at.

"If you keep the gel wet it should live for several months yet."

She caved into the urge and reached in again to softly touch the silky petal of the lily and smiled. Only Hotch would choose a gift like this. Any other man she had ever known would have been happy to have gone with the traditional roses for a date but Hotch, she was learning, wasn't much like most of the men she knew.

Honestly, that was likely a good thing.

She wondered how long it took him to find something like this.

"I love it. Thank you." She leaned up and pressed a small lingering kiss to his cheek, licking her lips to savor the taste of him as she pulled her head back.

Unable and unwilling to repress the urge any longer Aaron wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his frame and enjoying the soft feel of the skin on her back under his hands for a moment before forcing himself to let go of her.

They couldn't stay here and if he touched her for much longer he wasn't sure he would be able to repress the need to just forget the rest of the evening.

But he still had so much more planned for the evening. He picked up her wrap from the counter and draped it over her shoulders, running his hands gently down her covered arms. "Are you ready for dinner?"

"Lead the way." After the start to this night and her wonderful gift, she honestly couldn't imagine what he had planned for them.

* * *

><p>Aaron pulled into the parking arcade of one of the mid-sized malls in Georgetown and Emily turned her head, raising an eyebrow at him unable to figure out for the life of her what they could possibly be doing there, given how they were dressed.<p>

He grinned at her but still refused to tell her anything. "Don't worry; it'll all make sense in a minute."

He parked the car and then hurried around to open her door before taking her hand and wrapping it around his arm, leaving his large warm palm over top of hers. He tried to prevent it but in the end he couldn't help it. A feeling of intense pride and possessiveness filling him as he once again took in her appearance. Everyone was going to know she was with him tonight, this beautiful, vibrant, charismatic woman. She was with stuffy, secretive, repressed, cold, Aaron Hotchner.

He couldn't help the smile the crossed his lips as they waited for the lift. _She didn't_ see him that way and really, that was all that mattered.

As they entered the glass elevator he turned her so that she faced the windows and could look at the view to the top. Pressing the button for the seventh floor he stood with Emily and watched the world around them fall away. They both stood there, getting caught up in their reflection in the glass and the sights of the buildings lights winking in and out in the distance, highlighted by the black curtain of night as a background.

The first thing Emily noticed, that told her that something was different was the smell of moisture in the air when the doors behind her opened. Her eyes opened in stunned wonder when she turned around and couldn't repress the gasp from escaping her lips.

She stepped out, still attached to Hotch's arm and stared at one of the most unexpected and wonderful things she had encountered in a good long while.

Here, inside the top floor of a plain every day, seen everywhere mall was a tropical oasis laid out before her. Aaron stopped just outside of the elevators, moving slightly off to the side and allowed Emily to get a good look at where they were at, smiling softly at the look of pure wonder that was on her face. Most people who stepped off the elevator and didn't know what they were expecting had that look. But it was even more special because it was Emily and because of what this place meant to him.

In the center of the area, directly across from her was a cascading stairway waterfall. At the top, about fifteen feet up water shot into the air and flowed over large planks of rock, forming pools on the way down to the bottom. At the end of it, it emptied into a large pool that was filled with Koi of every shape, color and size.

The space was sparsely lit and there were small soft green laps under the water giving the entire piece a kind of otherworldly glow in the low lighting. There were large rocks surrounding the outside along with large leafy green plants. It really felt like someone had taken a tropical pond and transported it to the top of the building.

It was, in a word, incredible.

She gazed in awe at the wooden pathways that seemed to go off in every direction, each to another plant filled area, covered with masses of tropical trees and small ponds.

"How did I not know this was here?" Emily's voice contained such shock that Hotch couldn't repress his smile.

Aaron shrugged his shoulders in response and she could hear the disappointment in his tone. "Most people don't."

He opened his mouth to say something further when an older greying man, leaning heavily on an old wooden cane, came wobbling over to them. Emily almost shuddered at the practiced, political smile on the man's face.

"Aaron, you made it!" He attempted to sound jovial and welcoming but to Emily's practiced ears the gesture fell flat.

"Charles." Hotch's voice changed with the other man's presence and her head snapped to the side to gaze up at him.

Emily watched with no small amount of awe as a mask fell over Hotch's features. It was the most remarkable thing she had ever seen, aside from the garden they were standing in. She could see the way that her friend was shut away inside of the man next to her as he introduced her to the gentleman that was standing in front of them.

Later, she was sure she would be embarrassed by the fact that she had no idea what the man said to her but she couldn't get over seeing the change in Aaron. It made her wonder how much of the man she thought she knew was just his professional mask, much like the political one he was wearing at the moment. She thought she had gotten to know him fairly well over the last several months and now she questioned that knowledge. Emily ruthlessly shoved the idea out of her mind. She wasn't going to think about things like that tonight. Tonight, she was going to enjoy her night out.

"Well, it was lovely to meet you Ms. Prentiss." Emily put on a practiced smile and nodded to the other man. "Aaron, it's good of you to come. They'll be seating in about an hour or so." With that the wizened old man wandered off to greet the next guests to step off the elevator.

Emily tugged on Aaron's arm until she pulled him off to the side, away from the people milling about the small atrium area.

"Okay. Explain." Emily raised an arm to encompass the area around them. She just knew there had to be a story behind this place and why he had brought her here.

Hotch looked around him and pursed his lips in thought, he hadn't really thought how to explain this to her.

"About forty years ago they started the plans for this place, an oasis in the middle of the city. Some place for the everyday working people, shoppers and such to go. My Mother was on the Board of Governors that designed this place."

He took her hand and led her down one of the smaller stone lined pathways that led to a small cluster of wooden benches that all looked like they had been carved from the trunks of trees and polished to a high gloss shine. A small brook flowed past the benches with a soothing lyrical sound as the water flowed from one pool to the next.

He held her hand as she sat down and then took his seat next to her, turning towards her he continued with his tale. "Every year they hold a fund raising dinner that helps to pay for the maintenance and upkeep of this place. Either myself or my brother Sean, attends, whichever of us is free at the time. It's our way of paying respect for her. She was always involved in all sorts of projects but this one was her favorite."

Emily smiled softly at the thought that this man that she had always considered to be kind of cold would do something like this, all for the memory of his mom. He spoke of her with such open affection and admiration that she couldn't help but give him a sappy smile that caused him to look moderately embarrassed.

Hotch cleared his throat and looked down at their joined hands, allowing his thumb to drag across the skin on the back of her hand, enjoying the satiny texture. His other arm lay across the back of the bench and came to rest on the bare skin of her back.

For long moments the two of them just sat there and enjoyed the tranquility of the moment, the sounds of the flowing water, the noises of the small birds that seemed to live in small nests scattered about the glass ceilings beams. Emily tipped her head back and looked at the stars through the glass paneled roof, breathing in the warm, humid air. She glanced around at all of the plants, small trees, before glancing briefly at Aaron.

She lifted herself up from the bench and held out her other hand to Hotch. "Show me."

He gave her a bright smile and took her hand leading her around the labyrinth of pathways that made up the entire top of the building; all and all she would have to guess that this mall and its roof top garden was roughly the size of a city block. Each area flowed from one to the next, with the constant presence of small creaks and little ponds. Around one had a nesting family of little turtles that basked in the warm spray of water from any one of the many jets that shot up from the pools themselves.

As they walked Aaron shared with her bits and pieces of information that he remembered his mother telling him and stories of his many visits to this place when he was a child, long before his brother was born. Before they knew it the half hour was up and in that entire time Emily never said a word. She listened as he shared more with her in that small time than he had in the whole time she had known him and while she would have loved to have asked about a hundred questions, she didn't want to do anything that would stop him from sharing so much of his life.

Finally they made their way to a small gathering area filled with seats and a small courtesy bar was set up. People wandered around and chatted amongst themselves and Hotch scanned the area before moving off to one side, finding a small bench hidden in a grouping of trees with low hanging branches.

Often she found herself shocked by his behavior when away from work, although given what she knew of his upbringing now, she really shouldn't have been. He carefully held her hand as she took a seat and he stood next to her as she got comfortable. He truly was raised to be a perfect gentleman and in there day to day lives she tended to forget that, like her, this was a world that he grew up in.

His voice was soft and intimate when he spoke, causing her to smile. "Would you like a drink before we are seated?"

"That would be nice, thank you." She found herself without effort or discomfort falling into this role, one she often resented but tonight felt like a normal part of her skin and a lot of that had to do with the man next to her.

Aaron stepped away and glanced at the wet bar. "Glass of wine? Red or white?"

"Thank you, red would be nice."

She watched the picture he made as he wove his way in and out of the people standing about. He was dressed in a full tux, tapered to fit his frame and was clearly tailored for him. Each line of the dark fabric highlighted the inherent strength in his slim build and Emily's breath caught at the desire she felt flare in her blood at the sight of him.

Every once and a while someone would stop him and say a few words before he would untangle himself to continue his way. Always polite and friendly, smiling at the right moments, but always with that same plastic look on his face, the same political mask that he was wearing when they first arrived.

Emily let out a watery smile with the realization of why he had left her here sitting alone. She didn't have to 'politic'; which he seemed unable to avoid as he made is way across the room and with her name it would have been even worse. He left her sitting here to save her from the one thing she detested more than anything else.

Politics.

There were moments like this that she thought there might be more to them that he had originally planned and she honestly didn't know how to handle the change. He was her friend, one of the closest she had ever had, was it even worth the risk?

She wanted him, of that she was certain.

But what she didn't know was what he wanted from her. She knew what he had said in the beginning was that this was friendship and nothing more. Hotch had always been upfront with her and if something had changed in his feelings, wouldn't he have said something to her before now?

Or were all of the things she was seeing and feeling from him a product of her own desires? Was that desire coloring her interpretation of his actions, attributing motives based on what it was she hoped was happening between them and not the signals he was really sending?

She honestly didn't have a frame of reference to draw on for this. Every time in the past that she had been certain of a man's motives, she found herself on the other end of a nasty surprise. Not that she would ever expect that of Hotch, he was far removed from the men that she had known. He was honest, upstanding and a true gentleman. But could she honestly trust her own judgment in the matter?

And if it really was changing, what was she going to do with that?

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><p>Aaron finally made his way back to the place he left Emily and noted with a frown that the exuberance she had been showing up till now had faded a bit and he had to wonder at its cause. He hadn't been gone for that long.<p>

He passed off the glass he was carrying to her and gave her a slight smile. "Is everything alright?"

Emily did her best to put on a fake smile but she knew he wasn't buying it when the crease appeared between his brows. Not wanting to explain the direction her thoughts seemed to be taking more and more often lately, she instead figured it would be best to try and deflect his attention from it.

"This place, it's just a little overwhelming. Standing in here you forget that you are actually on top of a building."

"It is remarkable." Aaron could see what she was doing and let it pass for now, taking a seat next to her on the bench. "My father was never around much when I was growing up, always at work, so this is what she did. She took care of me and Sean and did things like this. Over the years she worked on many projects but this is the one she was most proud of." Emily smiled at the obvious affection that once again came through in his voice as he spoke of his late mother.

She reached over and rested her hand on his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Your mother must have been a remarkable person. I wish I could have met her.

His eyes got a far off look as he spoke, thinking about his mom and how she would have reacted to Emily. "She would have loved you, if for nothing more than your absolute apathy for politics. She hated it too."

The two of them leaned back and watched the way that the people in the room moved around them. Although to be honest Aaron was spending more time watching Emily than he was watching the room. Emily got a bright look in her eyes and he attempted to figure out what caught her attention but couldn't.

Emily poked him in the side and whispered in his ear, "Got a quarter?"

Aaron gave her a slightly befuddled look but dug into his pants pocket and found a coin for her. Rather than following her he chose to sit back on the small bench and watch, to see what she was going to do. He almost had the temptation to laugh out loud when she headed for the small dispenser and put the coin in.

Emily held her hand to the bottom of the machine and allowed the small pile of fish food to fall into her palm. She made her way over to the small pond nearby and looked down from her dress to the small flat rocks the lined the side and back again before giving a small shrug of her shoulders and flopping down on one of the rocks, making herself comfortable.

He watched as she dropped the little pebbles in the water and the smile that crossed her face as the Koi fought over the offerings. Standing, he passed off their empty glasses to a passing server and made his way over to Emily. Digging another coin out of his pocket he got his own handful and sat down with her.

She gave him a slight blush as she dropped the last couple of pellets in the pool and he passed the fresh handful to her with an encouraging smile.

Emily pointed to the dispenser behind her before turning back to her current activity. "The whole time we were walking around I was trying to figure out what they were for."

The look he gave her was full of mirth. "The brown tops are for the fish, the green ones are for the turtles and the blue for the birds. I'm sorry I should have thought to tell you that."

And while with anyone else it would have seemed unnecessary, he should have realized from the time he had spent with her that what she was doing, right at that moment, was something she would have enjoyed. They garnered more than a few strange looks from the people milling about the reception area and he was tempted to snort because at least they were honestly enjoying themselves. Most of the people here couldn't say that, and with that thought in mind he tallied the coins he still had in his pocket before coming to a decision.

As she finished off the last of her handful, he stood suddenly and held out a hand for her, to help her up. "Come on, let's go find the turtles."

Aaron stood there for a moment, trying to remember which pool the turtles were at and headed back that way. After a couple of missed turns he finally found the right pool and headed for the small green topped dispenser. Digging out his last two quarters he got Emily to cup her hands under the small spout and put the coins in. Leading the way he headed over to one of the larger rocks and waited for her to get comfortable before taking a seat behind her.

When Emily was about to drop her little pile of offerings Aaron leaned along her back and grasped her wrist to stop her, whispering quietly in her ear as he did so. "Just hold out your hand near the ground and wait."

Emily did as she was instructed and just as she was about to comment that nothing was happening she spotted it. Out from under the hanging leaves and from every direction, paddled out a pile of small turtles, no one more than three or four inches in length. She let out a small laugh as they all scrambled over each other trying to get into her hand and at the small pellets first.

Aaron leaned along the length of her back and watched from over her shoulder as the tiny turtles feasted on the pellets in her hand. Several times Emily let out little giggles as the turtles nipped at the ends of her fingers trying to find more. Together they watched as the turtles, having finished their small snack, headed for the water. A couple of them attempted to climb up on the heating rocks to bask in the warmth and the mist from the jets and the others dove into the water disappearing from view.

For a long time they sat there and enjoyed the small pool, the quiet and each other's company before Aaron let out a quiet sigh. "We should be heading back to the reception area before dinner starts."

"I know." Her voice was soft and reflective, indicating that she was feeling the same thing that he was.

Neither one of them wanted to break the tranquility of the moment and neither one got up to head back the way they came.

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><p><em>Another Author's Note: This location is based in reality and is fairly unique in the world. For pictures of the garden on top of the mall you can Google the Devonian Garden Calgary, Google Images has piles of picture and it's a truly unique wonder and is a world renowned attraction. The dinner is hosted each year and helps to fund upgrades and maintenance. When I was there last, there was a plaque honouring the members of the Board of Governors that had passed away and this idea came to me.<em>

_Out of all of the chapters in this story this one is the most dear to me because I have so many memories of visiting the gardens as I was growing up. I hope you have all enjoyed this chapter and I'm working tirelessly on the revisions and hope to have another update out there soon… And I promise that it won't take me another two months. _

_Blessings, Brandywyne_

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><p><strong><em>TBC in Chapter Eleven – Sky Rise Eden Part Two<em>**


	11. Skyrise Eden Part Two

_**Chapter Eleven – Sky Rise Eden Part Two**_

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><p><em><strong>Author's Note: I apologize in advance for anyone who just got hammered with Alerts for this story, in order to fix the problems I was having with the flow of the story I had to change the order of three of the chapters, which meant deleting and resubmitting five of them. Again, sorry for that, now on with the chapter.<strong>_

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><p>Emily cringed slightly as Representative Torres headed back to his wife, having been his typical smarmy self. She had the sudden urge to go, shower and scrub her skin raw. If he had have touched her one more time she was sure that Hotch was going to come unhinged and hit him, regardless of the consequences.<p>

"Can we go back and sit with the turtles? They made for far more interesting company." Aaron gave her a commiserating smile but said nothing in return, knowing that it wasn't needed.

They had managed, for the most part, to avoid all of the political networking and kept to themselves. A few people did wander over and Emily was gracious and social as you would expect given her upbringing. In day to day life he tended to forget that this was common place for his teammate, that she was raised to blend into situations like this seamlessly.

For the first time since this arrangement began, he started to truly realize that she fit with him. Not just his attraction to her, which was at times almost overwhelming, but in life generally. They had so many things in common, places where their lives intersected and meshed, outside of work, things that they could build on.

Wanting to hold her closer he used the excuse to lean down slightly and whispered in her ear, "It's almost over, soon we will be seated. They stay at their tables and us at ours."

Aaron held her one hand firmly in his and allowed the other to rest gently on her back, enjoying the feeling of her naked skin under the tips of his fingers. She shifted slightly and he felt Emily's gentle weight rest against his side. He turned his head slightly and breathed in her scent allowing it to tickle his imagination.

Emily shivered as she felt his fingers trail along the skin of her back. When she chose this dress she hadn't really considered the fact that the back was bare, it was fairly standard formal wear but then again she hadn't considered that her back was apparently an erogenous zone either. It was moments like this one, when he was touching her in such an intimate fashion that she fought herself the hardest especially because she could tell that he wasn't doing it consciously.

Standing there, waiting to be seated Aaron had the hardest time not glaring at every man that looked at Emily. He couldn't deny that she looked truly amazing but that didn't mean that he wanted to share her with anyone else, even if it was just to look. As it was, he had the temptation to sling her over his shoulder and cart her out of the building.

When they finally reached the front of the line Aaron heard a soft gasp from his companion and finally focused on something other than the feel of her body wrapped up next to his own. He allowed his arm to leave her waist and presented his elbow as they were escorted to the table doing his level best to act the part of the gentleman he was raised to be and not the animal he wanted to become.

Looking around the reflecting pool enclosure he had to admit, he was a bit in awe of the work they had done this year. It was incredible, easily surpassing the expectations set by previous years.

The reflecting pool filled the center of the room with its various jets of water that shot into the air at random intervals and each time that they did, it pushed the small artificial lily pads around the water, each one containing a single candle, one for each member of the 22 person board. Also a new addition was hundreds of ivy runner plants roped around the ceiling and trailing down the glass walls, blocking out some of the outside view. Somehow it seemed to give the area a much more intimate feeling.

Placed along the walls was what looked to be about fifty private two person tables, set around the outside of the pool, each covered in deep grey linen and forest green trimming and napkins allowing it to maintain that rock and moss feeling from the rest of the room. It was incredible and if it hadn't been for the city lights that peaked through the vines periodically it would have felt like you were set in a garden.

The tables while close enough together were still afforded some privacy. As they were led to one of the back corner tables his brow furrowed in thought. These tables were coveted, held further back from the rest and generally reserved for the remaining living board members; they were coveted because of the generally more romantic feel to them and that little bit of extra privacy they afforded.

Aaron lifted his head and gazed about the room, there about half way down the other side, stood the reason for the difference in his table, and one of his mother's oldest friends.

Ester Bennington was easily in her early eighties and was still working at finding him a new and better wife. She had never been fond of Haley, often telling Aaron that their dispositions didn't match and that they were unsuited for life long marriage. Looking back on how things turned out in the end, he guessed she was right. Focusing back on her, he spotted how she grinned at him and tapped her nose before pointing to his companion for the night.

Little old match maker. In all the years he had known her she hadn't changed a bit. He gave her a slightly amused smile and promised himself he would set aside some time to spend with her before the two of them left for the night. She was going to love Emily.

The young man who escorted them to their table for the evening moved to hold out Emily's chair and Aaron held up a hand to stop him, wanting to be the one to do it. As the man moved to the next couple waiting Hotch took her hand gently in his own and helped her into the chair.

When Emily was seated he gave into temptation and allowed his hand to reach out and gently caress the soft skin of her neck and shoulder as he moved around to the other side of the table. He couldn't repress the smile when he felt her shiver under his fingertips, knowing that it had nothing to do with her being cold.

The host waited until Aaron was seated and then moved around to the side of the table before speaking. "Dinner will be served in a half an hour. Would either of you care for a drink before service?"

Hotch raised a brow in askance, allowing Emily to choose for them. "Please." She turned back to Aaron. "What was that wine you got from out there?" She thumbed over her shoulder with a grin.

"Calon-Segur Merlot, and a glass of Glenmorangie, please."

As the server moved off Hotch leaned back and considered Emily as she stared out around the room. She was such a contradiction and he found it truly delightful. She was strong, intelligent, capable, controlled but at the same time she would show an almost childlike level of excitement for any new experiences she came across, throwing herself whole heartedly into the moment.

Over the last few years he had grown so jaded and hard from the combination work stress, Elle being shot, Gideon leaving, Reid being taken from them, to his predictable and inevitable divorce. Until that day in the quad as he had stood by and watched Emily basking in the sunlight as she read her books he had been feeling the walls closing in around him, suffocating him. What he had originally proposed as a distraction for both of them became so much more.

In Emily, he found something he had never expected, never would have predicted to have found with her, with anyone if he was honest with himself. Intrinsically she seemed to understand him in a way that he had never experienced. In her company he found someone to share his life with, not just someone that shared space but a woman he could share everything that he was because she understood. But more than that, he was finding himself letting go of the hardness and stress that had been his constant companions for longer than he cared to remember.

With Emily, he was learning to live again, to enjoy life in a way that he never did before. To be able to spend time with this woman and see the world through her eyes and it was something he could easily see himself spending the rest of his life doing.

His eyes widened at the though and then crinkled as he watched her fingering the hanging ivy next to her. She blushed softly at being caught and he had to control the impulse to laugh, both at her and from the simple joy of the evening.

As dinner progressed they talked. They talked about everything they could think of, his childhood, hers, his brother, time at school, politics, and favourite books. Anything and everything was on the table. All of the things he should be getting to know about her and her about him if there was any chance of making this work in the long run. And the one thing he always found in these conversations that he also did not expect, was that they never ran out of things to talk about.

Even when the topic of work came up he found himself free for the first time ever to just sit back and discuss the job, the things they saw, and she understood. She sat back and allowed him to share what he was thinking and feeling without holding it against him for letting it intrude. Over the last few months the feeling of depression that often accompanied his work began to dissipate and he was starting to remember what drew him to this job in the first place.

She understood the things they saw, shared them and often had a philosophical view of their cases, allowing him to step back and do the same. Enjoy the job that they did without becoming drawn down by the grim horror of it all.

This had to work between them, he wouldn't accept anything less.

As he sat there, he looked over at Emily as she expounded on one theory or another and he imagined what it would be like to have this at home, this kind of freedom.

God he wanted that, more than anything.

Emily lay her napkin on the table and let out a satisfied sigh. "That was wonderful."

Hotch nodded his head in agreement. "This even surpassed previous years. The company that hosts the dinner has been doing it for them for as long as I can remember; they've gotten very good at this."

"How many of these have you attended?" Emily leaned forward and rested her arms on the table, tipping her head in curiosity.

"My mother passed away twelve years ago." Emily gave him a sad smile; she could tell just by the way he spoke how much he loved his mother, and how much he missed her. "In that time I've been to better than half of them, Sean makes it to most of the ones that I don't. And about ten years ago, I gave my table to Dave, when he retired. That was the only time it wasn't family that came."

"That's so sweet." He scowled at her use of the word sweet and then grinned at her.

Aaron looked around the room and noticed that the majority of the tables where empty, including the one belonging to a certain matchmaker. He stood himself, holding out his hand to Emily. "Come, there is someone I would like you to meet."

Emily felt butterflies fill her stomach when she heard the tone he was speaking with. This was special, important. His eyes were intense as she slipped her hand in his. Once again he placed her hand at his elbow and led the way out of the reflecting pool, stopping for one brief moment to look at the water and the candles still floating serenely in memoriam.

As they made their way back out to the main area she smiled brightly at the small group setting up their instruments on the stage. She looked up at Hotch and considered if she could get him to stay long enough for a couple of dances. Dancing with Hotch, when she had the chance, was one of her favourite past times.

He was graceful and fluid and lead without making her feel like marionette as many men had in the past. But he danced like he did everything else in his life, in control, commanding and it was a rush that heated her blood every time he took her in his arms.

They stopped for a moment at the edge of the room as he looked for the person he wanted her to meet and she took that chance to one again take in the marvel of the place they were in. It was fantastic. Emily gazed up at the clear glass ceiling and sighed at the stars twinkling in the sky. The place with its multitude of plants, dim lighting and the stars overhead was magical.

Aaron finally found who he was looking for and attempted to navigate his way through the throngs of people milling about to a small cluster of tables and chairs set up around the mock dance floor. Off to the side and away from the rest of the party, sitting serenely under one of the larger shading trees was a tiny old woman. While she may have looked frail, Emily could tell by the twinkle in her eye that it was only her body that had aged. She leaned forward heavily on an old wooden cane and smiled brightly as she gazed out around the room.

Aaron stopped their forward progress for a moment and leaned down, whispering softly in Emily's ear so as not to be overheard by any of the people standing around them. "I'm warning you now, she'll say whatever she's thinking and she's not the least little bit shy about it either."

As he stood back up he was tempted to roll his eyes at himself for having said that to Emily, out of all of the people he knew, she was the one that would take the least offence to someone who spoke their mind.

Leading the way he smiled softly at the old woman as she straightened up in her chair when she spotted the two of them. "Aaron! It does an old woman's heart good to see you here. I haven't seen nearly enough of you in the last year."

He leaned down, embraced the tiny woman, placing a gentle kiss to her cheek and there was such open affection in his gaze that for a moment Emily was completely non-pulsed.

"I know and I'm sorry for that." The guilt was more than evident in his face and the old woman patted his cheek before turning her attention to the woman standing next to him.

Aaron reached out for Emily's hand and pulled her closer. "Ester, I would like to present to you SSA Emily Prentiss."

The old woman's eyes widened and she turned a smile on Aaron before turning back to Emily. "Ah… you poor child, I met your mother once or twice."

Emily threw back her head and laughed. Hotch really wasn't kidding about her being forthright but at the same time it was so nice to have someone speak about her mother honestly for a change and not attempt to find the politically correct responses when speaking to the daughter of a United States Ambassador.

"Ester, play nice." Aaron's voice held a note of chastisement but that was completely negated by the small smile that was threatening to emerge.

Ester's eyes twinkled as she looked at him before simply shrugging her shoulders at the young man next to her and held out her hand to Emily. "Ester Bennington."

Emily grasped the small, weathered hand in her own, slightly surprised by the strength the other woman showed. "One of the architects of this wonder, I saw your name on the list of honourees."

Aaron watched as the two of them interacted and let out a sigh of relief at Ester's response to Emily. He couldn't really say why but it was so important to him that the older woman approved of Emily. He supposed that because other than Sean and Jack, Ester really was the only family he had left and if he had to hazard a guess this introduction was a success.

Slowly he was pulled away by people that wanted to talk to him about his mother and the garden, it was the same conversations he had every year and for the first time he was resentful, as it pulled him away from Emily but at the same time he figured that out of all of the people he could leave Emily with Ester was a good bet.

Ester was someone that Emily could relax with; she wouldn't have to pretend to be the Ambassador's perfect daughter as he had seen her do several times this night. Hotch tried valiantly to pay attention to what the man next to him was saying but his focus kept shifting back to the woman across the room.

Emily had pulled one of the chairs over till she was sitting right next to the older woman and they had leaned close to one another and were carrying on what looked to be a very animated conversation by the look of things. He watched as she brushed a couple of the tendrils away from her face and laughed again at whatever tale Ester was spinning for her. Hotch closed his eyes and let out a soft groan. Somehow he just knew that this wasn't going to be good for him or his ego.

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><p>As the music started he very rudely cut off the man he was talking to. "If you will excuse me, please."<p>

"Off with you." The older man, another friend of his mother's said with an understanding smile. "Go spend time with your lady friend."

Aaron smiled at that and made his way back to the small table where they were sitting and closed his eyes in pain as the conversation ended full stop in his presence. He didn't even want to know what Ester was telling her but by the twinkling light in Emily's eyes he could tell that he was going to hear all about it at some point, and likely in great detail.

He once again held out his hand to Emily and spoke in a soft intimate tone. "Would you dance with me?"

Emily nodded and he pulled her up from her chair, leading her to the open floor where a few of the other patrons were already enjoying the music.

Hotch pulled her into his arms, resting a hand low on her bare back, the other holding her hand to his chest, his warm palm curled around her own, his movements where so fluid that for several moments she closed her eyes and allowed him to lead her around the floor. Often times she forgot about his upbringing and then they would do something like this that would remind her that he was very much a refined southern gentleman.

Emily opened her eyes and gazed up into his dark orbs. She and marvelled at what she was seeing there, what she was feeling from him in that moment.

"Something has changed hasn't it?" Her voice was a whisper when she finally spoke, both excited and fearing the answer at the same time.

"Yes." Emily opened her mouth to comment further but he gently shook his head. "Not yet… Just dance with me."

And there in, lay one of her greatest issues. He wasn't talking to her about this, whatever it was she was feeling from him and in the end; it left her more confused and unsure of herself than she thought possible.

Emily nodded her head and did her best to put the thought out of her mind, deciding that it could wait until a better time, later. With that thought in mind she simply allowed herself to enjoy being able to have him this close, being pressed up against him as they glided around the floor.

Aaron tugged her a little bit closer, closer than propriety allowed for and breathed in the scent of her. There were so many things he wanted to say to her but now was not the time or the place for such a conversation. For that, they needed time alone… and mostly, privacy.

For three dances, he held her in his arms and enjoyed the press of her body against his own, the gentle sway of her form as they moved. Where before dancing with her always left him heated, this time there was a feeling of comfort and intimacy that he wouldn't trade for anything in the world.

As the music was set to change again someone tapped on his shoulder and he was half tempted to bite the guys face off, but seeing Senator Ripley he figured he couldn't do that. The man was the only person Emily hadn't actively tried to avoid that evening and he knew that this man had actually been a close friend of both of her parents, not the normal political friendship, someone whom Emily had grown up with.

The Senator gave them both a smile. "May I cut in?"

Hotch looked down at Emily, waiting for her consent. At her gentle nod he passed her hand to the older man and made his way back to the table and Ester.

"She's delightful Aaron." He took Emily's still vacant seat and crossed one leg over the other as he leaned closer to the old woman.

Aaron relaxed and allowed what he was feeling to show through, in a way that he usually only did with Ester. "She is at that."

She turned to face him and gave him a bright smile that made him groan aloud. "Now you see… she's perfect for you."

"And you know this from a five minute conversation with her?" He raised a brow at her, teasing her as he usually did.

She didn't bite this time and simply gave him a tender smile. "No, I knew it the minute you both stepped of the elevator and I saw the way you were looking at her." He could feel the blush rising up in his cheeks at the thought he had been that transparent and she gave him a soft smile in understanding. "Don't worry; I don't think anyone else saw or knew what they were seeing if they did."

"And what would they have seen, had they known?"

"Love, as simple and as complicated as that." Hotch raised an eyebrow in question, wanting to see what she could see. "You looked at her like you were trying to absorb everything about her with your eyes alone, as if she was the only person remaining in your world. I haven't seen that look on you in years… if ever." She reached over and patted his hand, knowing how hard this was for him, just opening himself back up again.

"Ester…" Aaron closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh.

Ester put on a fake innocent face that she knew she had no chance of pulling off. "What? It's completely true and you know it."

He sighed again and gave up. Out of all of the people in his life, she was the only one that he knew that wouldn't allow him to be anything other than brutally honest, at all times and honestly it was one of the things he loved about her.

"I know." He allowed the frown to mar his forehead as he considered what she said.

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"I don't know and it's somehow become slightly complicated." He admitted as he looked over at Emily dancing with the Senator.

"Why would that be?" She raised both brows in askance. "She obviously cares for you as well."

"Because when this all started we were just friends trying to stave off loneliness. Things have changed for me and I think for her too but every time I try to move forward she pulls away from me. She's not had the best of luck in the romance department and I'm a little afraid of pushing her too fast for her level of comfort."

"Oh trust me… she's positively smitten with you young man." Ester pursed her lips as she considered the young woman they were discussing. "She's worried about something; you can see it in her countenance when she speaks of you. You need to talk to her but I truly believe that everything will be okay in the end."

As the Senator released Emily and she began to make her way back over to the table, Aaron could only hope that Ester was right.

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><p>Emily threaded her arm through his as they made their way up to the front door of her apartment building. "She's positively wonderful. And you grew up with her?"<p>

"Yes, she was very close to my mother." He got a far of distant look in his eyes as he continued. "Once or twice I had wondered if perhaps they were closer than friends. When my mother passed away, Ester seemed more like she was mourning the loss of a lover than that of a friend."

Emily tugged on his arm to stop him from moving forward as she asked her next question. She wanted to be able to look at him because it wasn't that often that anyone got to see into his more personal thoughts, even her, with how close they had become.

"And that never bothered you?" Her voice was curious and soft, not wanting to put him off answering her.

"No. I've met my father." He gave her a rueful grin. "They both came from old blue blood families and honestly, she should have left him before I was even born, but they didn't do things like that. If she could have found happiness with anyone, even Ester, I would have been happy for her."

"She was lucky to have had a son like you." She smiled softly to him and pulled the front door open before heading inside.

Aaron stalled for a moment at the tender look on her face and had to hurry to catch up with her before the door closed on him.

As she opened her apartment door she turned to him, amusement still dancing in her eyes as she finished off telling him about her conversation with Ester and laughed as he did his best to repress the blush that wanted to escape.

Aaron felt his breath catch in this throat as the laughter and joy in her eyes sucked him in. He couldn't resist any longer, didn't want to resist the feelings she was making him feel. Tonight, right now, things were going to change.

He summoned his courage and stepped closer to her, invading her space. Slowly, giving her every chance to understand what was about to happen, he lifted his hands to her face, cupping her soft cheeks in his palms, tipping her face up towards his own and her laughter died on the spot.

Emily gulped in a harsh breath as the heat flared in his eyes. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest and was unable to move, held in place by those dark desire filled orbs. This was not something spur of the moment, no alcohol hindering their judgment. This was different than the other times. She could feel it in her bones and finally she knew what tonight had been about. Her eyes widened with understanding of his intent and gasped his name just his lips connected with hers.

Aaron allowed his eyes to flutter shut as he leaned in. At first it was just a soft press of lips, his own gliding gently across her own, expressing so much with that first feather light touch, his undeniable affection for her, his gentle care; all of the things that had developed between them since that day in the quad when he first asked her out on their 'not a date' and had continued to grow with each passing day.

Soon, the gentle kiss wasn't enough and he had to finally have a taste of her. He pulled away and looked into her shocked but passion filled eyes before leaning in for more. She was so passive; he could feel her confusion in every line of her frame and just as he was about to pull back, wondering if he had made a mistake, he felt movement from her.

Emily tentatively touched the hand on her face before allowing own her hand to slide along his arm till it cupped his elbow, pulling him closer. The other just hung limply at her side, indicating her shock. In that moment it didn't matter anymore, why he was doing this, all of the questions that filled her mind daily. She closed her mind to everything and reveled in the feel of him, reveled in every desire she had repressed and buried in the last few months. All that mattered, in that singular moment, was that Aaron was finally kissing her.

Softly, gently he nibbled at her lower lip, cupping her jaw in his strong hands and tipping her head to the side; begging for her to let him in, to allow him to fully enjoy her. The one thing he had wanted to do for weeks and now could no longer resist.

Emily's lips opened and he slipped his tongue inside, more than afraid she would change her mind. His hand slide back to the nape of her neck and angled her head to give him greater access to her sweet, soft lips, swallowing her quiet whimper as it escaped. Allowing his other hand to slide down her body, he gripped her hand and led it up to his shoulder, encouraging her to participate. To prove to him that he wasn't wrong.

The movement seemed to spur her on and she wrapped her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers in his hair and he moaned low in his throat at the feeling of her graceful hands massaging his scalp. Aaron's arms wrapped around her, pulling her tight to his chest, feeling every inch of her body pressed up against his own. Tempting fate he allowed one of his hands to slide up the skin of her back, feeling the soft skin the way he had wanted to all night.

He backed her up slightly till she was leaning against the wall and pressed the full length of his frame into her, holding her hostage against the wall as he took possession of her mouth, suckling her tongue, feeling her panted breaths on his cheek. Emily pulled away for a brief moment, gasping a deep breath of air before diving back in again.

What had started out as soft and gentle was becoming heated and frantic as Hotch did his best to absorb her into his own skin. He had no idea where this possessive need came from but in that moment it was the only thing that mattered to him. Slowly, selfishly, he trailed his fingertips down her bare spine, feeling her shiver and tremble at the caress, till his hand stole under the edge of her dress, his hand rested on the top swell of her ass, pulling her closer, allowing her to feel his hard length, evidence of his desires, pressed against her stomach.

A door down the hall closed and broke the moment between the two of them and Emily pulled away from him in shock, her eyes wide and her fingers covering her lips as she looked at him.

His hair was disheveled from her roaming fingers and skin was flushed from excitement. His lips shone in the low light of the hall, coated with delicate moisture, evidence of what happened just moments ago and Emily felt tears fill her eyes even as she tried to control her ragged breathing.

What had she done?

Carefully she slid along the wall and slipped into her open apartment door and closed it softly behind her. Pressing her forehead against the cool wood she allowed the tears to fall. In that one desperate moment she allowed her every fear to overwhelm her. When had this all started to become so complicated?

She pressed her hands against the cold, hard wood in front of her and squeezed her eyes shut. In her panic she couldn't see any of the things that would be gained by opening up and letting him in. The companionship, the love, and the incredible passion she could feel in that one simple kiss.

Instead her heart was filled with dreaded fear of everything she had to loose. He was her best friend; the only person in the world that she knew that she was completely at ease with. He knew her faults, her weakness, her strengths, joys, her love of her books and her desperate longing for chocolate.

Every time she allowed herself to get caught up in love, she was always got hurt, and something always went wrong. Every single time, she found a way to screw things up, or the person she thought she was with was nothing like the man he really was. And as illogical as it seemed, in that moment, it was all she could see.

He never wanted this; in the beginning he was more than clear on that and so far he had said nothing to make her think he had changed his mind. So what happened if they took the risk and it turned out that it still wasn't what he really wanted? What if he was simply getting caught up in 'dating' and discovered after they were too entangled that it wasn't what he wanted or needed? Could she really run the risk of losing what they had now, they friendship they had built?

Hotch leaned against the wall next to her door and was tempted to slam his head into the drywall behind him, recalling the words he had thought that day in the quad, that this was a really bad idea. And going back over the months they had been doing this, he could pin point the exact moment he screwed up and what he should have done instead.

He should have just talked to her, told her how he was feeling. It might have frightened her but she would have talked to him, he could have found a way to convince her to give them a try, he was sure of it. They were totally open about everything, nothing off limits, nothing but apparently this and now he had no idea how to fix the mess he just made.

She was everything to him now and if he had to guess by the look in her eyes he had lost what little bit of ground he had gained with her. He moved to fast and it was his own damn fault.

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><p><strong><em>TBC in Chapter 12 – General Consensus<em>**

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><p><em>Author's Note: So there you have it, the end of chapter eleven and all of the revisions to the rest of the story. For the most part you don't really need to go back and re-read it unless you want to. It's far more detailed in what Emily is thinking and feeling, hopefully making why she reacts the way that she does a little clearer, although the full explanation is still a little ways off.<em>

_In two of the chapters there are new scenes added, and while they change nothing about the story itself they are kind of cute._

_So, now that this is up I'm going to go and hide behind something large to avoid the hard objects about to be thrown at me. Things will be moving faster now as the story is completely written, with just last minute grammar and spell checks. Look for the next update to come with in the week._

_I have spent so long working over this story and fighting with it that I can't even tell if it's any good anymore so I will let you all be the judge of that._

_That being said, read, enjoy and thank you so very much for your abundance of patience with me and the problems I've had with this story._

_Many blessings and warm wishes,_

_Brandywyne_


	12. General Consensus

_**Chapter Twelve – General Consensus**_

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><p><em>Author's Note: Chapter title is a subtle poke at both of the main characters… Yep, they are both being idiots… But then again, they are kind of supposed to be at this point. Thank you for your reviews and enjoy the next installment. If anyone is looking for me I'll still be hiding behind my couch!<em>

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><p>Emily flopped down on the couch that was against the wall in JJ's office and did her best not to sulk over being manhandled into said room. She knew what this was about without the blond woman having to say anything. And honestly the last thing she wanted to listen to was someone else telling her what an idiot she had been.<p>

_I've been telling myself that often enough, thank you very much._

JJ had been in Washington for most of the week in meetings with the FBI media affairs office and today had been the first time since the previous Friday that she had been in the same room with Emily and Hotch. She was in the bullpen for all of ten minutes before she figured out that something seemed to have gone horribly wrong between the two of them sometime since leaving work the previous week and when she got back to the BAU this morning.

It wasn't anything overt. They, both, were far too professional for that. But JJ had been watching the two of them, seeing the changes in their relationship over the last few months and something was definitely off in paradise. Hotch was being tentative in a way that she had _never_ seen him and Emily who had always been in your face with him about everything couldn't seem to make eye contact anymore.

It was really strange to watch and JJ couldn't wait to find out what happened to cause such a shift between the two of them. The whole team had been so excited when they started to spend time together. Not because of any romantic ideal that might have come from it, but from the changes that were happening to the two of them as a result of the time they were spending together.

They both seemed to be more open, approachable, and even happier. And now something seemed to have changed and JJ seriously wanted to know what.

As soon as the day was drawing to a close, Emily had completed her open files and could manage to sneak off without being missed; the blonde had grabbed ahold of her arm and all but dragged the other woman to her office where she could finally get some answers.

She watched passively as Emily kicked off her boots, folded her legs up in front of her on the couch, wrapping her arms around them. The other woman's eyes were unfocused as she stared across the room and began to chew on her thumbnail; and judging from the condition of her other fingers this seemed to be something she had been doing a lot in the last few days. It was the strangest sight JJ had ever seen from Emily. Everything in her posture screamed the need for self-protection and was such a contrast to the woman that JJ thought she knew.

After waiting for several minutes it became apparent that Emily was not going to open up on her own. She wheeled her desk chair closer to the couch and gave the other woman a little nudge. "Okay… talk."

For a long moment she said nothing before her eyes shifted over to her friend. "So… he kissed me." Emily's voice was soft and tentative, as if she was sharing a deep, dark secret, one she was afraid someone might overhear.

JJ's eyes widened in surprise, not at the fact that they had kissed, she would have expected that long before now. It was surprise at the fact that it seemed to be a problem. Although, given what she knew of Emily's romantic history, this really shouldn't have been all that much of a shock. For as confident and composed as Emily was in most of her life, when it came to relationships she was generally a great big, complicated mess.

She stood from her desk chair and moved over to the couch; kicking off her shoes she pulled her feet under her. This was a conversation she figured she needed to be comfortable for.

After several more minutes of dead silence she huffed out a breath. This was going to be like pulling nails. "And?"

Emily let out a near silent groan as her feet dropped back to the floor. Leaning her elbows on her knees, she covered her face, her words muffled by her hands. "And it was perfect and wonderful and I got scared and I bolted."

"Why?" JJ rolled her eyes at her one word questions but so far it seemed to be working in getting Emily to open up about what happened between the two of them.

"Honestly?" Emily leaned back against the couch and sighed as JJ nodded her head. "It was a lot of things really. But mostly at the time all I could see was everything that could go wrong, and nothing that could go right."

"Okay… still not seeing a problem. You say 'at the time' so obviously you figured out that there would be benefits to a relationship between the two of you."

"That much yes, but not much else makes sense yet." Again Emily went silent and JJ was about to give up when the other woman started to talk again. "It seemed like it came completely out of left field. It was a shock, but at the same time it really wasn't because there were signs, but somehow I still wasn't expecting it, wasn't really ready for it."

"You had to have known it was coming Emily… we all knew it was coming… Well except for maybe Spence." The last was said with a small smile on her lips but the humor was lost on her friend.

"I thought… sometimes it would seem…" Emily took a deep fortifying breath before she continued, "But Hotch would have said something wouldn't he? I mean, he's nothing if not honest and we had a plan, we knew what we were doing and why. He wouldn't have changed things without talking about it. He promised he would talk to me, that he wouldn't shut me out." Her voice trailed off as if she was thinking out loud.

JJ didn't know where that last line came from but she figured that now was not the best time to ask. For now all she could do was give Emily a push in the right direction. "So go and talk to him?" To JJ it seemed like the simplest solution all around.

"I tried but he's reverted to Hotch form and is shutting himself up in his office with the door closed so I can't tempt him out for a walk or lunch. And we don't discuss this kind of thing at work but I can't seem to pin him down away from it." Emily scrubbed her hands on her face and JJ almost smiled because it was a habit her friend seemed to have picked up from spending time with their boss.

"How hard did you really try Emily?" JJ raised a questioning brow at her friend. "I have never known you to be meek or passive but all of the sudden you are, and that's not you. Go barging into his office and make him listen to you."

Emily let out a snort at the thought of busting into Hotch's office and demanding answers from the man. "Oh yeah JJ, like that's going to work really well."

"You won't know if you don't try and last I checked he was still here. The day is over, work is over, no one will overhear anything so just go and talk to him." She raised her brow, silently daring her friend to do something.

Emily quietly rose from the couch, slipping her shoes on and moved out of the office, silent as a ghost. JJ honestly had no idea if she had managed to accomplish anything tonight but she could hope.

There was something going on with her dark haired friend, something more than she had admitted to tonight. JJ had seen it in the past and had always wondered about it. Just beneath the surface, Emily was afraid of something, and that something always seemed to hold her back whenever a man got too close. She didn't seem to be conscious of it or even realize what it was that she was doing and that made JJ wonder at what it was that Emily was afraid of and how long it had been ingrained in her.

For the first time she was really hoping that Hotch was as determined as she thought he would be in this type of situation and could breakthrough whatever walls Emily had built up to protect herself, because JJ had the sneaking suspicion that things were going to get worse before they got better.

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><p>Dave leaned against one of the desk in the bull pen and looked up at the dimly lit windows of Hotch's office. For the last several months it had been a rare occurrence to find Hotch in the building this late. It was a change that the whole team had been grateful to see but for the last few days he had been here well into the evening and he seemed…<p>

Sad.

That was the only word that David Rossi could think of to describe his old friend and it wasn't one that he ever thought he would use to describe him either. With Hotch it was always one of a dozen emotions ranging from pleased and amused to angry, tense or even disappointment, but this was a new one for the older profiler.

And he didn't like it one bit.

Something had changed recently and he couldn't really think of what it could be, or to be honest_, didn't want to think_ of what it could be, because in the last few days she had the same look on her face. Everything seemed to be swimming along just fine and then Hotch came into the office Monday morning and you could tell that something was off with him. Emily came in an hour later and his suspicions were confirmed.

They had all been so happy with the changes in both Aaron and Emily over the last few months. Emily seemed less uptight and skittish in Hotch's presence allowing her to be more relaxed with all of them and Aaron was now making an effort to connect with the team, in a way that he never had before. But any camaraderie he had found with the team seemed to have disappeared over the course of a weekend and now he was hiding up in his office again.

Dave heaved a deep sigh and pushed himself up off of the desk when he finally decided to find out what went wrong between the two of them because with the way they were both acting now it had to be that. Up to this point he had been waiting to see if just maybe they would work it out on their own, they had the last time things seemed strained but it didn't look like it was going to happen this time.

He stood in the office doorway for a moment, being as quiet as possible and just observing the man behind the desk in a way that he didn't get to very often. His shoulders were slumped low as he read over a report in one of the many open files that were scattered about the top. But where normally Aaron was usually quiet uptight when he was in the building, now he just seemed deflated. Dave waited for a moment to see if Aaron would respond to his presence.

When he didn't the older man took a couple of tentative steps into the room, always conscious of the fact that Hotch didn't like it when you poked your nose into his personal life and Dave was intending to do more than just poke.

His voice was soft and concerned when he finally spoke. "What happened Aaron?"

Hotch looked up at his open doorway and let out a deep sigh. He should have known that it wouldn't take long for Dave to come around and start digging. To be honest, Aaron was surprised that it had taken him this long.

Seemed his ability to hide what he was feeling was slightly damaged recently. Although, damaged seemed to suggest that it was a bad thing and in this instance while it was uncomfortable to be in the spotlight with his emotions lay bare, he couldn't regret the things that led him to this moment.

He looked up at the man across from him, that didn't mean that he wanted to have his issues dissected. "I don't want to talk about it Dave."

"Yes you do." Dave's voice was neither condescending nor smug but simply stating a fact in that quiet way of his.

"No, I'm pretty sure that I don't." Aaron felt the frown mar his features as his old friend contradicted what he was saying.

He took a couple more steps into the office and indicated the doorway behind him. "You knew I was still in the building and if you didn't want me to come up here you would have closed your door, like you have every other night this week."

Aaron threw his pen down on the desk with a slight huff and leaned back in his chair. Seemed he was going to have to have this conversation whether he wanted to or not. He glanced at the open door and figured that Dave was likely right, even if it was unconscious on Hotch's part, although he would never admit it out loud and especially not to Rossi, the man's head was swelled enough as it was.

He pushed himself away from the desk and moved over to the window next to it, looking outside at the darkened Quad, remembering for one moment how this all started. And for once he was going to lay things out and see what came up, if nothing else perhaps he would be able to shock the other man.

"I kissed Prentiss." There was no shame in his voice just a quiet acceptance that came from making a mistake of some magnitude.

Not that kissing Emily had been a mistake. In fact, it had been wonderful, perfect and everything he had hoped it would be, right up to the moment it ended. It was just the wrong time and as soon as it was over he could spot every mistake he had made with her in the last couple of months, could see the things that he should have done, the things that would have made this turn out so much more different than they did.

"And?" There was no surprise in his voice; having already suspected what happened.

"It was…" Aaron shrugged his shoulder diffidently, unable to describe, or perhaps unwilling to share, what the moment felt like to him, "…and then she backed away from me with a look like I had kicked her puppy."

"And you just left it at that?" Rossi's brows shot into his hairline. This was not normal behavior for Aaron. He didn't pussy foot around things; he normally would have pushed till he got what he wanted.

Aaron closed his eyes and allowed his chin to drop to his chest. "For now it is. I just really don't know how to approach her, to try and talk to her."

"How about 'Hey Emily, let's get a drink.' and see what happens from there." His voice was incredulous that Aaron didn't see that it would be that simple.

Hotch glared at Dave and let out a deep sigh. "That won't work, not with her, and besides that I have no idea what was going through her mind at the time."

And that was the part that had him tied in knots. For as good of a profiler as he was and he was fairly certain of what was building between the two of them he was, honestly, a little too close to the entire situation to see it objectively and that was causing him to hesitate.

Could he trust his own judgment of the situation, or was he only seeing what he wanted to see and not what was really there?

"And you aren't going to know if you don't talk to her."

"I know that. But this is too important, too special for me to just screw it up by not having some kind of idea about what to say to her and not having some kind of idea as to what she wants, needs."

"You do realize, don't you Aaron that the longer you wait, the worse this is going to get, right?" Dave's voice had softened considerably as he began to understand the turmoil going through his friends mind.

"Yes." Succinct and to the point, that was Aaron.

That was what he needed to be, to get Emily, in the end. Direct… He sighed, if only his friend could see that.

Dave's eyes winded at the soft look that took over Aaron's face as he began to speak in soft, measured tones. "It's really kind of remarkable. I didn't want another relationship, I wasn't anywhere near ready for one but now… I went into this with a plan and it's not turning out the way that I thought. We work together, I shouldn't want this and it could be very messy but…"

"But you want it and you screwed it up." Dave's voice was certain; it was a direct statement of fact.

Hotch glanced at Dave before turning back to the window and giving a short nod of his head in agreement of the statement.

He wanted it, more than anything. God, did he want it.

"I know I screwed up Dave. This could get incredibly complicated and messy going forward and Emily is the last woman I should want to be with…"

Hotch turned to look at Dave and saw the woman he was speaking of just over his friends shoulder, standing in the doorway to his office.

His eyes widened in stunned disbelief because he just knew, from the look on her face, how much of the conversation she heard, and how much she didn't.

The warmth and affection that had always been present in her eyes these long months was now gone. Even in the last week when things had become so strained between the two of them, her affection for him, her friendship was still present if you knew where to look.

That had disappeared in a moment.

In its place were the cold, controlled features he always associated with Supervisory Special Agent Prentiss. Anything she might have felt for him was now locked up tight and he would be damn lucky if he ever saw a hint of it again.

He sucked in a hard breath and took a step towards her. "Emily…"

Without a word, she turned and fled the floor like the hounds of hell were on her tail and Hotch moved to follow her, to try and talk to her. Dave snagged his wrist as Aaron attempted to move past him.

His voice was soft and sympathetic as he spoke. "Stop Aaron, you have to let her go. She won't listen to you now, no matter what you say."

"Let go Rossi." He sound of his own voice was harsh, even to his own ears as he jerked his arm free of the loose hold Dave had on it.

The older man watched, feeling helpless as his friend ran across the bullpen floor.

The doors on the elevator were closing just as he made it to them and he slammed his hand against the cold metal, giving it a cold glare before heading for the stairwell, rushing down, hoping to catch her before she got away from him.

He cleared the door with a crash just as she was rounding the end of her car and he jogged to catch her before she could get in.

Panting and out of breath Hotch attempted to stop her from leaving him. "Emily please, let me explain."

"No. Really, you don't need to. It's okay." And still she had that same cold, hard look in her eyes and his heart broke just a little bit more.

"I really think I do, it's obviously not okay or…" She cut him off by holding up her hand and for once he had the smarts to keep his mouth shut. He knew that look in her eyes and if he said anything to her now, it wouldn't matter what it was, it would only make things worse in the end.

"No." Emily closed her eyes and took a shaky breath, trying to regain her composure which was slipping by the moment. "Even if you think you have to… just don't, because honestly I really don't want to listen to it." There was a sharp bite to her words that he had never heard from her before.

Emily quickly turned away from him and hurriedly climbed into her car. Flinging the door shut as she got inside and Aaron winced as the door slammed shut, feeling like it was a forewarning of any relationship they might have had.

He stood there, backed up to a random pillar and watched, helplessly, as she pealed out of the parking garage before falling back into the cold brick behind him.

"You never let me finish."

And the worst part was that this was his fault entirely and he knew it. If only he had talked to her sooner, this could have all been prevented.

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><p><em>Once again... I feel kind of mean at this point but there is a plan... Honest, I won't leave you hanging. The idea of Emily from this point is kind of modeled after how she was in "Demonology", not in the storyline itself but more how she reacts to her past and what has made her who she was, and don't worry there will be explanations coming. I hope you all enjoyed this, the light at the end of the tunnel is coming, there are only three more chapters to go.<em>

_Blessings, Brandywyne_

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><p><em><strong>TBC in Chapter Thirteen – Lapses In Time &amp; Communication <strong>_


	13. Lapses In Time

_**Chapter Thirteen – Lapses In Time & Communication**_

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><p><em>Author's Note: With this story I have done absolute crap at answering reviews and for that I'm truly sorry. So I want to say right now, thank you to everyone who reviewed on chapter twelve, your words and support were very much appreciated. I did attempt to answer reviews but what I kept getting from FFN was sorry we can't find the link you are attempting to use... It's possible that I might have left it for too long. I'm very sorry about that. So again, thank you.<em>

_The gap between the last posting and this one was because as I was doing my last read through on this chapter I found something I didn't like and didn't really fit. So I took it out and had to rewrite all three remaining chapters because of the change. It fit well with the original idea but after all of the changes that I've made since the beginning it didn't really fit and felt really off. _

_So I'm sorry for the wait but on the upside you get all three chapters at once and after this "Mutual Benefits" is over. Enjoy!_

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><p>Emily sat in the front seat of her car and contemplated banging her head on the steering wheel, trying to force herself to get out of the car.<p>

"Chicken shit." She mumbled under her breath.

What a mess. Why did this all have to become so complicated? She should have known that there was no way she could be friends with him, at least not for any extended period of time. She was attracted to him and always had been, honestly, for as long as she could remember. Emily had been fairly sure, right from the start of this, that if there was anything even remotely likable in his personality her heart would get involved.

And it did, because there was.

There was so much to like about him, so many things that left her shocked and surprised and delighted. There was no way she could spend time with him and not want to spend more time with him, becoming more and more attached as time passed.

And then she met his son and what little hope she had of keeping her heart closed off was gone completely. Over the last few months since the pumpkin festival she had several chances to spend time with the two of them. Sometimes it was for another day long outing, other times it was a simple as dinner on the fly after a case and she could admit that she adored Jack, almost as much as she did his father.

Then listening to him in his office the night before it was like her every worst fear had been realized.

He liked her, of that there was no doubt in her mind. But that like, didn't turn into her being his one, the one that Aaron wanted to build a relationship with.

She had tried to steal her heart against it right from the start, keeping that dark desire locked up in a dark corner of her mind, never letting it see the light of day, but it happened anyway.

She wanted to be his one, more than anything, even if she was only admitting it now.

Emily forced herself to get out of the car and trudge her way to the elevator that would take her up to the BAU. She pressed the up arrow and looked around the parking structure allowing random thoughts to flit through her mind. _Perhaps I should stay down here today, it's dark, grey, kind of depressing, solitary, sort of like the inside of my mind at the moment._

As the doors parted she let out a silent breath of relief and then sneered at herself. What did she think, seriously, that Hotch was going to be lurking behind every closed door she came too? Emily stepped onto the elevator and watched as the doors slid closed, allowing her eyes to close with them and started the long process of pushing everything back down so that she could focus on her work. She would have time after the day was over to process everything else for now; she needed to deal with her job. And that, at the moment, meant dealing with Aaron Hotchner.

Tonight when she got home and was alone in her apartment, she would lick her wounds and try and find a way to move forward from this. Perhaps in time they could find a way back to the friends that they were because if she was honest with herself, she would miss him more than anything, if that was taken from her too. Slowly, over the last six months he had become her best friend and she wasn't sure she could deal with that loss on top of the loss of an impossible dream.

Pushing the door open she looked first at the almost empty bull pen and then up towards Hotch's office. Her brow furrowed lightly at the absence of light. He was almost always here before everyone else. The room which normally was frantic with activity on Fridays with everyone attempting to get as much done as possible so no one would have to work on the weekend, was eerily silent and still. She could see the light coming from under Dave's office door, indicating his presence but the only other soul moving about this day was Dr. Spencer Reid.

Making her way over to her desk she plunked her case down before turning to Reid, who was completely engrossed in the files spread across his desk. "Where is everyone?"

Reid's entire body jerked from surprise at the sound of her voice. Emily smiled softly at him as he blinked sharply, looking around the room. "Morgan and Hotch left about an hour ago, heading to Delaware. Jude Peter's last appeal failed and he's decided he wants to talk. Team two got sent to Alabama for that case with the missing co-ed, they finally asked for help. And JJ's back upstairs again. I don't think we'll be seeing her again today, they are really stressing about something up there."

Emily let her shoulders relax as all of the tension drained out of her. "How long are they going to be gone?"

"Hotch and Morgan?" Reid shrugged as he surveyed the room again. "Several days at the very least I would think. He's got 37 victims over 10 years, and that's just what we know about."

Emily nodded her head as she settled herself in her chair. She tried to focus on her files and figure out a starting point but she could feel Reid's eyes following her movements.

"What?" Her voice was soft and slightly guarded because the moment she looked up the younger man started to look uncomfortable.

"It's nothing." He looked down at his desk top before meeting her eyes again. "It's just that you look… relieved."

Emily sighed and leaned back in her chair, folding her hands in her lap, trying to figure out how to respond to that statement. What could she say to him that would answer him without saying too much?

"Not relieved really, just…" Emily glanced about the room and had to make a conscious effort not to look at Hotch's office and give herself away. "It's quiet, and I think I just needed it to be quiet today."

She smiled as Reid nodded his head in understanding before turning back to his open consult. Everyone always thought that he was a little slow when it came to social nuances but she knew her young friend caught more than they thought he did. He just let them believe what they wanted and kept things to himself.

She liked that about him, that and the fact that he would never push her if she didn't want to talk about something. And this was something she really didn't want to talk about.

Emily relaxed into her chair and let the silence of the building flow over her before turning to her own open files. The quiet, the lower lighting and the rhythmic sound of Reid's pen scratching on paper all gave her the thing she needed to push down all of her lingering thoughts and focus on the day ahead.

For the first couple of hours she was remarkably productive, managing to get through most of the crime scene photos and reports from the various departments on her last open consult of the day but she needed more room for this one, there were too many pictures. With that thought in mind she folded up all of the file folders and stood, thinking to take over the conference room again when the door to Dave's office opened.

The look he gave her shot the last of her composure and all she could do was look at him with pleading eyes, begging him silently to leave it alone, let her work it out on her own.

Reid looked up when Emily stopped moving about and glanced back and forth between the two of them, trying to figure out what was going on with everyone lately. He could tell that Dave really wanted to say something and that Emily was dreading any conversation they might have.

He stood up, stretched and did something he had never done before.

"Emily?" He kept his voice soft so as not to escalate the tension in the room any more than it was. When she turned her eyes to him he continued in the same soft tone as before as he grabbed his jacket. "Want to come get a coffee down stairs with me?"

The look of absolute gratitude she gave him, made him want to weep. He really wanted to know what was going on with her, had tied her in such knots, the tension he had sensed in her from the moment she walked into the room. He really wished there was something he could do to help. But at least he could do this.

Emily gave him an appreciative smile, realizing at once what he was doing. "That would be nice, thanks." She picked up her bag and together they headed out of the BAU leaving Dave lingering in his office door.

And perhaps while they were having coffee, she would feel like talking to him and maybe, just maybe, Reid thought, he could help.

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><p>Aaron pushed the door to the bull pen open and took a weary breath. Spending five days, virtually alone, with Morgan was not something he wanted to do again anytime soon. But he couldn't deny that it was an extremely productive five days. They ended up getting much more out of Jude Peters than they had been expecting.<p>

The final body count ended up being almost fifty-five women over the course of 15 years. They even managed to get him to tell them where the bodies of those other women were and that would mean closure for so many families that never got it before.

But perhaps next time he would take Reid with him.

He did a quick survey of the room, looking for Emily and allowed his shoulders to slump when he noticed her desk was empty and devoid of her usual clutter. He had been hoping that she would still be here today, although he was later getting back than he had planned. Hotch still hadn't really figured out what he needed to say to her but after a weekend buried in the memories of dead women he really needed to see her.

Putting one foot in front of the other he shuffled his way up the stairs to his office with the intention of dropping his stuff and heading home for the night. That thought was stalled out by the sound of a throat clearing from his doorway.

Aaron turned and saw Dave standing just inside his office and closed his eyes, doing his best to repress the groan that wanted to escape. The man loved to meddle and in this case he was too tired to play verbal tug-o-war with David Rossi.

Dave smiled slightly at the beaten look on Hotch's face and decided to let him off the hook, just this once. "She's in the conference room with Reid. She's been in there working on that consult of hers since Friday."

With that Dave ambled his way back out the door and almost snickered at the look on Aaron's face.

Hotch dropped his bags and headed out of his office and down the catwalk. He couldn't help but think to himself that it was kind of sad how excited he was just to be able to see her, even with the problems they were having at the moment.

Laying a gentle hand on the door, he pushed it open quietly, not wanting to interrupt her train of thought if she was in the middle of something and then felt his brow furrow as he took in the sight of the room. There were boxes spread all over the place and the table was littered with pictures and various documents.

But there was no sign of Emily. Or even Reid for that matter.

At the sound of paper shuffling up by the front of the room, near the plasma screen, his eyebrows raised and he quietly made his way to the front of the room. What he found there caused him to use all of his restraint not to laugh out loud.

Emily was sitting in the middle of the floor with piles of papers spread around her. She would pick up one sheet, drop it, and then pick up another one before scratching her head and moving on to the next one.

Aaron leaned his hip against the cabinet next to him and crossed his arms over his chest as he watched her. "I could have sworn when I left that you only had a simple two file folder consult. What happened here?"

Emily's head snapped up at the sound of his voice. "Hotch!" She looked around herself, at the mess she and Reid had made of the conference room and allowed the perplexed look on her face to show through.

"What is it?" Hotch knelt down in front of her and tried to make sense of what it was that she was looking at.

"I don't know yet, but I think there is something more going on here." She watched as Aaron picked up a few of the papers from the file closest to him.

"I thought your consult was for a cold case serial rapist in Harrisburg?"

"It was." She gave a definitive nod of her head but didn't elaborate.

"These files are from Arlington."

"They are."

He was almost tempted to smile at how intentionally evasive she was being. "And…?"

"I don't know yet. But there was something I read in a news flash a couple of months ago that makes me think there is something more." Her eyes traced the piles of the floor, trying to connect the dots in her mind.

Hotch closed his eyes briefly. "Emily…"

"Can you give me and Reid a little more time to dig? I really think there's something else here." She gave him a slightly pleading look, almost begging for him to give her that last little bit of leeway.

Aaron sighed and set down the papers in his hand. Over the last year or so she had found things in files that other people had missed so he couldn't see what it would hurt to give her a little more time to work on this.

Emily seemed to have the same gift as Reid for finding linkage, so perhaps there really was something more here. And unless something had changed in the last few days, no one had anything active on their plates other than routine consults and interviews.

"Alright, I can do that. It's fairly quiet right now anyway and I don't think either of you have anything pressing."

"Thank you." Emily gave him a soft look that made him hope that perhaps things with them had gotten better while he was gone. "You look tired."

Aaron let out a quiet laugh at that. "Five days with Morgan and a raging sociopath will do that to you." For a moment he considered reaching out to her until he could see her starting to shut down on him.

"I… I can't do this yet. I'm not ready." Emily's eyes flitted about the room before she connected with him again. She let him see her confusion, praying he would understand. "I just need a little bit more time."

His face relaxed at that. She wasn't shutting the door completely. "I can do that." At her look of relief he knew he made the right choice. He tipped his head to indicate the mess around her. "And you'll let me know if you need anything?"

"Yes." She smiled softly and nodded her head before going back to the files around her.

Aaron smiled and resisted the impulse to touch her before levering himself off the floor. Taking one last look at her, he left the room, closing the door behind him and headed home.

* * *

><p>The following Friday morning found Hotch leaning on the partition to Emily's desk, watching as she finished off the summary report for her consult. It was the document that he would have to lean on if her file ended up being what she expected that it was. The serial rapist she was asked to consult on, generated flags in four other states, including Virginia and was going to be a mess if it turned out she was right, because not only were they dealing with several active sexual assaults files but at least four murders in two of the states.<p>

But as it was sitting right now, he was going to have to go over all of her notes as well as the ones that Reid did and all of the open files she had managed to pull. If he agreed with her assessment then he would have to go and see Strauss and get further approval for them to move in because of it being multi-jurisdictional. It was going to be a mess.

He shut that thought out of his head as he watched her printing off the final reports and putting them in the folder for him. He missed this, this feeling of closeness, even if now it was an illusion. Because the minute she looked up from what she was working on that shuttered closed off look would come back.

It was the look that kept screaming at him that she wasn't ready to talk.

Five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

And there it was.

She had been so open to him for so long now that to be standing here facing SSA Emily Prentiss and not just Emily was like a knife in his gut. He couldn't tell what she was thinking, what she was feeling, anymore. Not unless she wanted him to that is.

And in typical fashion he shut down, refusing to push, to deal with the big pink elephant that was in the room with them. Afraid that he would push and what little there was between then would be completely gone. At least he had the hope that after a little time passed the friendship they build would return and he would have that at least.

Even if he couldn't have Emily the way he truly wanted her.

She passed him the file with some amount of trepidation. This would be the first time she was taking the lead on an open case, if it turned out she was right this would be hers alone and as she watched him take it she let out a deep breath she hadn't even realized she had been holding.

Hotch tucked the file under his arm and let his face relax, trying to help her dispel the nerves she was showing. "It's going to be, at the very least, a week before anything comes back for this. Relax."

"I know. It's just that…" She trailed off, not even sure she could begin to describe what she was feeling.

"You don't have to explain. I remember the first file I was lead investigator on." Aaron thought about it for a moment, tapping his fingers on the partition. "Do you want something to keep you busy?"

Emily nodded her head frantically and he couldn't stop the smile the twitched the corner of his lips as he continued. "I have been requested to send two agents to do a training seminar with the D. C. Arson Unit, next week. Would you like to go?"

She shuffled some papers on her desk, looking for her agenda. "What days is it for?"

"It's for Tuesday, Wednesday and perhaps part of the day on Thursday."

"That's cutting it a little close isn't it? Who would I be going with?"

Hotch nodded his head in agreement. "I was thinking Dave; he knows a couple of the investigators in the unit. He did a seminar with them once before and has consulted with them a couple of times. It would give you guys and in, make the room relax a little faster."

He didn't miss the way that she relaxed at the thought of going with Dave and not him and felt his heart break a little more, even if it never showed on his face.

"Sure. I think I can be ready by then."

"Alright, I'll let Dave know." As he turned towards the stairs to the upper level he tried to push his feelings down and not think about them.

Things would get better between them.

They just had to.

* * *

><p>Emily leaned over the table and did her best to try and focus on the material in front of her. The last couple of days had been hard for her and she wasn't up to her normal standards, although, Dave was likely the only one to notice. She had somehow thought it would make things easier for her, being away from the Academy, away from Hotch but in the end it seemed to only make things worse. She missed him terribly.<p>

She missed her friend.

As she reshuffled the piles of books and notes, preparing to pack things back up to return to Quantico she heard a throat clear off to her left and rolled her eyes. She didn't even have to look up to know who it was. Bruce Dartmouth had been like a dog with a bone since she first walked into the room and from the look of things he wasn't about to give up yet, regardless of how many times she shot him down.

"Have dinner with me tonight." Emily could see Bruce's hands as he leaned on the edge of the table as he leaned closer to her, aiming for some level of privacy.

She gave him a quick glance and went back to what she was doing. "No."

He smiled and gave a soft sigh before continuing. "You've said that every day for the last three days, how about a different answer." A smile flitted across Emily's lips and it was enough for him to keep trying. "You do know that even when you go back to Quantico today, I'm gonna keep trying."

"Yep," She popped her 'p' and moved onto the next box, "and you do that your behavior is slightly obsessional."

"Yep." He made the same sound and let out a grin when the smile she was attempting to repress finally broke loose.

Dave had been watching the interplay between his friend and the other man for the last three days and was tempted to smile. It was good that someone else seemed to notice what a wonderful woman she was and if the circumstances were any different he might even be rooting for him. That being said…

Very carefully Dave moved into their zone and put an end to the conversation, repressing a smile as he did so.

Bruce straightened up and attempted to look serious but never took his eyes off of the dark haired profiler. He leaned against one of the closer desk and crossed his arms over his chest. And rather than running off as most of the locals did whenever Hotch or Rossi approached Emily, he seemed more than content just to watch as she moved about the room, packing up her stuff.

Dave gave Emily a side long look to make sure she was okay, at her subtle nod, he picked up a couple of the boxes from the table and headed back down to his truck.

Watching Rossi leave the room, Bruce made one last attempt. "Are you sure you won't have dinner with me tonight?"

"I'm sure." She gave him a slight smile to soften the rejection. "I have to get back to Quantico and check in with our chief, it'll be at least 8:00 before I get back into D.C. and that's only if nothing goes wrong between now and then."

"I don't mind waiting."

Just like she though, he was like a dog with a bone. "Well, you'll be waiting awhile."

"That's okay. I'm also persistent." She grinned at him as she picked up her box and headed for the door.

Bruce grabbed the box from her hands and escorted her down stairs. She thought that it was really too bad that she hadn't met him six months ago.

* * *

><p>Emily looked over at her phone as it rang and noticed that it was the local number for the D. C. arson squad. Garcia was perched on a chair next to her desk and started to giggle at the defeated groan she let out as she banged her head on the desk several times. When she attempted to ignore it Pen pointed at the phone and gave her a look that clearly said avoiding was not going to get her out of the conversation.<p>

Emily sighed as she reached over and picked up the phone, saying as sweetly as she could, "No."

Bruce's deep chuckle came across the line. "I haven't even asked yet."

"The answer is still going to be no." She smiled as she tucked the phone between her shoulder and chin, reaching into her bag for her missing pen.

"Come on Emily." His voice came out with a slight whine to it that caused her to laugh.

Her voice held a note of amused warning, "Bruce…"

This had been a daily phone call since she got back from the training seminar and after the first couple of days she had begun to suspect that his motives had changed. His voice was playful and friendly but seemed to have lost that edge that said he was pursuing her.

Bruce let out a deep sigh and then chuckled lightly, "Alright, alright, I get it."

"Thank you." Emily looked up and Pen quirked an eyebrow. She could almost see her wanting in on the conversation, little gossip monger that she was.

"He's a lucky guy, whoever he is." His voice held a kind of understanding she was surprised to hear from him after how agressively he pursued her in the beginning.

Emily let out a sigh, not sure how to explain. "It's not…"

"Don't try and deny it Emily Prentiss." There was a lingering warmth and humor underlying his words and she smiled softly. It's too bad she wasn't attracted to him in the slightest… and she hadn't met him six months ago.

"Okay, I won't then."

"How about just coffee, no pressure I promise." When she was quiet for a moment he was quick to add in. "It'll be just friends, nothing more. Don't tell me you can't use another friend."

Emily thought back over the last few months, how happy and relaxed she was at just being able to get away from her apartment and then she thought about how she felt before her and Hotch started their 'platonic dating' and he was right. Even if there was chemistry between her and Bruce, which there wasn't, her feelings for Aaron had her tied in too many knots for it to ever become anything else and he seemed to understand that.

What could it hurt? It was just coffee and god only knew she could use another friend, especially one that wasn't tied up in this place.

She let out a playfully exaggerated huff. "Alright! I give."

"Good." His voice was pleased and slightly smug. Emily was half tempted to smack him down but he cut her off before she had the chance. "Call me when you're going to be back in D.C. and we'll set something up."

"Okay, I'll talk to you soon."

With that they both bid their good-byes and hung up. When she finally looked up and saw the look on Penelope's face it was like she could hear the ball dropping from a mile away and had no idea how to stop the momentum.

Garcia let out a squeal and danced in her chair. "You just didn't!"

"She just didn't what?" JJ asked as she breezed past the desks on her way up to Hotch's office on the upper floor.

Hotch came out of Rossi's office to find out what all the noise was about and closed his eyes in pain as he heard Garcia's response to JJ's question. "It seems Emily finally accepted a date from the persistent fellow that has been calling her all week."

JJ stopped dead in her tracks. "You didn't."

"No, it's not…" Emily floundered as all eyes in the room seemed to land on her in that moment and before she had a chance to finish what she was saying everything started moving too fast, out of her control.

JJ was about to say something further when she was interrupted by Hotch. "JJ…" He pointed to his office and she was reminded of what it was she was doing there to begin with.

"You and I are gonna talk." With that she turned on her heel and marched up the stairs.

Under Hotch's observant stare from the upper floor everyone scattered back to what they were doing before Garcia's impromptu interruption.

Aaron stopped in the doorway to his office and turned back to Emily sitting in the bullpen. "Emily…" He waited until she was looking up at him before finishing. "We got the go ahead. We're wheels up at 11:00 tomorrow morning."

He gave her a tentative smile, totally lacking in any real happiness before turning back to his office. He stopped at the last minute and if she hadn't been watching him, she would have missed it. The look that passed over his face just before he locked everything down, she would have sworn that his heart was breaking.

Her first thought was that Hotch was ever the consummate professional.

And then it hit her.

_Oh God, Oh God…_

Her mind started to process the events of the last couple of weeks on fast forward, turning over information so fast she was getting dizzy.

_Last woman he should want… He didn't say didn't want…_

_Oh God, what had she done?_

In that moment, as she realized how everyone misinterpreted her phone call she began to see everything in a completely different light. She was half tempted to storm his office now in the rush of adrenalin that flowed through her body, insist that he talk to her then.

But then what… and was she ready to have a conversation when her nerves were jumping so hard it felt like her skin would leave her bones?

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, allowing her mind to slow, to actually process in a way that made sense.

Now, she just had to figure out what to do with what she knew… and how.

* * *

><p><em>TBC in Chapter 14 – How To Move Forward<em>


	14. How To Move Forward

_**Chapter Fourteen – How To Move Forward**_

* * *

><p>Hotch pushed open the heavy glass doors of the BAU and stepped inside watching the unusually high level of activity that went alone with a case like this. He allowed his eyes to sweep the room and track all of his team. He could see Morgan, Rossi and Reid through the glass of the round table room, Garcia was on the catwalk with Agent Parsons from team three and it looked like the only ones missing at the moment were Emily and JJ, which he found strange in and of itself, even more so since this was Emily's file. She should have been right there in the thick of things.<p>

Granted, he was later that he normally would be. He and Haley had to take Jack in for another visit to his doctor and it was something he had promised both Haley and himself that he wouldn't forget this time, as he had so many others in the past and it was a promise he managed to keep. Unfortunately that put him not arriving at the BAU until almost ten in the morning.

He felt a little guilty about that, because he knew how important this case was to Emily and he wanted to be here for it from beginning to end. After a moment he pushed that thought down, she would have kicked his ass for even thinking it. Often times she was the one who had pushed him to form a stronger friendship with his ex-wife and to be more active in Jack's life, reminding him when there was something he was going to forget about, like a doctor's appointment, as he often did with his over-crowded mind.

Something he was, in the end, much better for having and was also intensely grateful for. If it hadn't been for Emily, he wasn't too sure where he would be standing with Haley, but he could bet that it wouldn't be nearly as amicable as it was now.

JJ came barreling through the doorway and he almost didn't catch her as she wheeled past him, going as fast as she could.

"JJ?" His voice caught her attention and she spun around. When she looked at him her face dropped and he had to wonder at the look. He gave another glance about the room before he finally questioned her. "Where's Prentiss?"

JJ started to say something but stopped, looking around her. She tipped her head towards his office and headed up the stairs without a backwards glance.

He gave her a short glare at her lack of response and then shrugged his shoulders as he headed up, he would find out soon enough.

When Aaron stepped into his office, JJ was in the middle of the room, wringing her hands but didn't seem inclined to say anything.

"Where's Emily?" His voice had grown softer as his concern increased.

"The Ambassador had a heart attack last night; she's in critical but stable condition in New York. She was in surgery most of the night." Now he understood why she pulled him into his office before she spoke.

Hotch opened his mouth to say something and JJ rushed to cut him off, her words coming out in a jumble, almost seeming to fear his response. "She was here this morning, waiting to tell you. Strauss found her about eight o'clock and authorized her leave so she could go without waiting for you to come in." She paused for a breath and her brow furrowed in thought. "She's really kind of a mess."

Aaron's eyes lost focus as he looked through JJ for several moments before shaking off what he was thinking or in this case, not thinking. "Does the rest of the team know?"

"Yes, Dave said he was with her most of the morning. I have no idea when Emily got here but she'd been here a while, Dave was sitting with her when I came in, just before she left." JJ's brow furrowed again as she looked at him and he could see the unasked question in her eyes. A part of him wondered if there was an accusation in her eyes, asking him why he would leave Emily sitting here alone, asking why didn't Emily just call him to tell him what was going on? Rather than making her say it right out, he just passed her his phone.

"I need a new one; can you get Garcia on that for me and see if she can dump my voice mail to the office phone?" He closed his eyes briefly, fearing what Emily had to be thinking right now when he hadn't returned her calls, if she had even tried to call. And with him staying in Falls Church with Haley she wouldn't have gotten him at home either. "I need a moment and then I'll be right in."

JJ nodded her head and moved towards the door. She stopped briefly in front of him, resting her hand on his arm. He could tell there was something else she wanted to say but didn't know how. Aaron gave her a short nod in acknowledgment and she moved off, leaving him with his raging thoughts.

His first impulse was to run from the building, to go and find her, to be with her and it took several deep breaths to hold the need down. He thought about his phone dying and the timing of Jack's appointment and realized that his luck couldn't be any worse. He hoped and prayed she remember the appointment, that she didn't think he was intentionally ducking her calls. Things had been so tense with them lately and he had no idea anymore how she would perceive his silence.

Aaron closed his hand in a fist and came to a decision… Not really a decision so much as acceptance of what he already knew. He looked back out the window of his office, at the flurry of people moving about and knew that he needed to stay here. Even if he desperately wanted to leave, could make himself leave, this is where Emily would expect him to be, taking care of the team and her case.

There wasn't much he could do for her at the moment but this case, with or without her presence in the field was one that would make her career and he would make sure everything went off without a hitch. She had laid all the groundwork for them; all they had to do was follow her lead and not mess anything up.

But that didn't mean that he didn't have time for one thing first. With that thought in mind he turned back to his desk, picked up his phone and quickly dialed the familiar number of her personal cell phone.

* * *

><p>Emily curled up in the chair by her mother's bed and looked at the older woman, feeling as if she was seeing her for the first time. For as long as she could remember her mother had always been strong and imposing, larger than life. And now, here she was, in a bed that seemed to amplify her small stature and Emily felt as though her world had tilted on its axis. Ambassador Prentiss was the only family she had left and the thought that her mother might not recover made her feel like a lead weight had settled in her chest.<p>

Their relationships hadn't always been as strained as it was now. At one time they were like any other mother and daughter. Emily couldn't even really pinpoint when that had changed but she could still remember the woman that Elizabeth Prentiss was, just her mom, not the ever imposing Ambassador and she felt a sudden terror that she might never get to see her mom again, that it was truly too late to fix the relationship they once had.

She didn't know how to deal with this, not with her mother. As the subtle desperation settled in her chest she realized that she needed to get out of this room and maybe get a little bit of fresh air, calm her frayed nerves and maybe find enough focus to remain calm till the doctors came into see her in the morning. Earlier that afternoon they had told her that they would have a much better idea of her prognosis after the first 24 hours had passed. And she knew that all the worrying in the world wasn't going to change what they had to say.

Emily unfurled her body from her position next to the bed and headed out of the room, grabbing her cell and change as she did. With one last glimpse at the monitors, just to reassure herself that her mother was still stable she headed out of the room in search of coffee and a little space.

As she passed the nurses' station she quietly let them know she was headed across the street for a cup of coffee at the all night coffee house that catered to the hospital staff. She smiled halfheartedly at the sympathetic looks and the promise to call her phone if anything changed before she returned.

As Emily passed through the front door of the hospital she sucked in a deep breath of cold air and felt it's bracing effects pushing the last vestiges of fatigue from her mind. Pulling her jacket tighter around her, she started the trek across the street, flipping her phone open and turned it back on, watching the display as it loaded.

Once she made it into the coffee shop she relaxed her frame and allowed some of the tension to creep out of her, just being away from the antiseptic smell of her mother's hospital room was enough to ease the constant flow of adrenaline she had rushing through her blood since she received the call last night.

Emily ordered her cup of coffee before pulling her phone back out and checking for messages. On the screen were several texts from the team, checking to see how she was, if she needed anything and just generally worrying over her; but nothing from Hotch, just a single voice message. She diligently replied to each text message, telling them what she knew, which was damn little, before moving on to the voice message. She pressed the button to receive and held the phone up to her ear as she took a sip of her hot coffee.

She closed her eyes at the first sound of his voice and allowed the remaining tension to flow from her frame as his words flowed over her. Allowing his voice to sooth her as it had so many times in the past few months.

"_Emily…" _

There was a slight longing he couldn't quite mask but his voice broke on her name, like he wasn't sure what to say now that he was on the phone.

"_I'm sorry I never got your call, my cell died on me yesterday and Garcia's going to get me a new one, although I don't think I'll have it until we get back from Harrisburg." _

Aaron let out a deep sigh and it was quiet for several moments before he continued.

"_If you need anything, anything at all from me, call JJ or Dave and they'll pass of their phones to me, so you can reach me… for anything… even if it's just to talk." _

He took another deep breath and she could tell that whatever he was going to say was a risk for him. His voice, his tone was much softer when he finally spoke.

"_I'm sorry I'm not there with you and I know things are a bit of a mess with us at the moment. But I just really_…"

He cleared his throat and was stronger sounding with his next line but she could still hear the warmth in his voice.

"_You know what… this can wait till you come home. If you have to, call my desk. I'll be checking in from time to time. Don't worry about things here with us; we'll make sure everything goes according to plan. Please take care of yourself and try not to worry too much. I'll see you when you come home."_

She blinked back the tears in her eyes as she hung up her phone and set it down on the table in front of her, staring at it, willing it to be him in front of her instead of her phone. But with a sigh she pushed that thought away. If he did that, if he was there with her and not working on the case it would take away all of the things that made him who he was, made him the man that she loved.

In that moment she realized that nothing mattered.

All of it was absolute crap, everything she believed she heard, all the misunderstandings from the last few weeks. It meant nothing and as soon as she got back she was going to sit down and talk with her friend. She would finally stop ducking him, like she had been doing for the last two weeks and find out what was going on with him, what he was thinking, what he wanted.

Everything finally out in the open.

Because if there was one thing that phone call told her it was above everything else, he was still her friend.

And she missed him.

* * *

><p>Hotch pulled his overcoat around his slim frame, trying to protect himself from the slight breeze. Even though winter was waning there was still a notable chill that lingered in the air. Bracing himself with one hand he slowly he eased himself down onto the steps and let out a weary breath at how tired he was feeling lately, how old.<p>

This last week had been one that he didn't want to have to repeat any time again in the future. Everything went off without a hitch just as Emily had predicted but her lack of presence, especially when it was a case that she had spent so much of the prep time working on, made it feel like the team was missing a vital limb, one that it couldn't do without.

That said nothing of what it was making him feel personally.

He could hear the movements inside the house as Haley settled Jack into bed for the night and for the first time in a long time; the noises brought him no comfort. After having missed their usual Sunday morning breakfast this past week, he had dropped in after the jet returned in the hopes of getting to spend a little time with his son.

He was welcomed, as always, but his mind was on other things and that kept him distracted for most of the night. His mind kept flitting back to the message that Emily had left for him on his office phone. It was relatively short and brief, just letting him know that she was okay and thanking him for worrying about her. But there was something lingering in her voice, something he couldn't name, and that left him feeling unsettled and afraid of what would happen when she came home.

The only consolation that he had was that she didn't call anyone else, except when she tried to get ahold of him the day before. She spoke with Dave just long enough to pass on the message that she would be back at work by Monday and that her Mother was recovering just fine.

Jack never noticed his preoccupation throughout the night, but Haley did and he was hoping that this wasn't going to turn into an argument.

As the door opened and then softly closed behind him he knew that there was little chance of that happening. Haley never took it well when his work followed him home but in this instance, he didn't know what to say to her, to assure her that it wasn't work this time, without coming across callous or cold.

Aaron kept looking forward as she settled herself on the step next to him, as if by looking at her would be tempting fate. For a long time they sat in a companionable silence but he could feel the tension in the air and felt jumpy waiting for the other shoe to fall.

She turned to face him, drawing his attention to her before she started to speak. "You didn't have to come tonight. He would have been okay if you'd waited till Sunday like normal."

"I know."

Haley hesitated a moment, unsure if she should start this conversation. "You could have gone to see Emily instead, it would have been okay. I wouldn't have held it against you."

Hotch's eyes slammed open and his head snapped towards her before he could control the impulse. He opened his mouth to say something but his jaw snapped shut when he realized for the first time in a long time, she had managed to shock him.

For several moments they just observed each other. When the tension grew too thick he spoke in a voice just above a whisper. "How did you know?"

"I know your faces Aaron, all of them, and this one is not your 'work is bothering me' face. This one is worried for a loved one. After talking to JJ on Monday when I tried to call you, it seemed a logical assumption." She gave him a slightly pitying look, like he should have figured it out on his own.

He tended to forget about how long they had been together sometimes, and in the end, how well she really did know him.

"She's still in New York, with the Ambassador." Aaron turned away and looked back out to the dead street, hoping that would be the end of the conversation.

"And?" she drew out the word as if she was expecting something more.

Hotch did his best not to let the annoyance creep into his voice, "And what Haley?"

"Why are you here? New York is not that far away and you already told me the team was on stand down till Monday. So why not be there?"

"It's complicated."

She let out an indelicate snort, "Aaron, with you, everything is complicated."

"I don't want to argue with you Haley." he ground out in reply.

"And I'm not trying to, but you always do this."

"And what precisely I'm I doing?"

"Avoiding and complicated is always your excuse."

"Haley…" He found his annoyance ratcheting up. She was far to calm about this conversation and he was waiting for the fireworks that had always come in the last few years, every time they attempted to talk about anything.

"You say it's complicated. So how is it complicated?"

Hotch pursed his lips and looked at his ex-wife. This moment was more than a little surreal for him to be sitting here with her asking questions that would lead to a discussion about his current love interest… or at least the woman he was in love with.

Then again, Haley always was a little bit different from the other people he knew and that was one of the reasons why he liked her as much as he did. And while he was no longer in love with her that affection was still there.

After thinking about it for a couple of minutes he figured that it couldn't hurt. It was obvious that she already knew what was going on with him so it's not like the conversation would shock her and he had tried to figure out a way out of his problems with Emily on his own and still hadn't had much luck.

Aaron turned on the step so that he was partially facing her, leaning back on the railing before telling her about the last six months. She was attentive and listened to everything that he said and for the first time in longer than he cared to remember it felt like he was connecting with her, and remarkably over another woman.

As he finished Haley slapped her hands down on her thighs and grinned at him. "It's simple. Go and talk to her."

"I've tried that and she's not talking."

"But how hard did you really try?" When he just gave her a blank look she tried to smile, to soften the blow of her next sentence. "How hard did you try to talk to her? Or did you do what you always do, meet a little resistance and shut down."

She could see him getting annoyed with her again and put her hand on his arm to preventing him from getting up and walking away. "You are so strong and so capable in everything you do but when it comes to this type of thing, personal relationships, you have always taken the path of least resistance. You have for as long as I have known you, with me, with your Mother, with Sean. If you want this to be different you need to push."

Aaron felt his body collapse at the truth in her words. "And what happens if I push and all it does is pushes her away?"

"Well, it's a small consolation but in the end you will at least know that it was her choice and not because you didn't try."

"Why?" He couldn't for the life of him imagine what had spurred on this conversation or why she was taking it as well as she was.

She didn't even hedge or pretend what the question was about. "Because Aaron…" she took a deep breath before she continued, "right from the first day I met you, you were my friend, above all else and you will always be my friend."

Haley folded her hands in her lap and looked out across the quiet street. "What we had is over and now that some time has passed I can see that it's not really a bad thing. We both grew to want different things from life. But that doesn't mean that I want to see you unhappy. And I think… Emily might just make you happy, in a way that I never could. She understands your world in a way that few people can so if you can find a connection with her… I say go for it."

With that she patted his shoulder, stood up and went back inside.

Aaron wasn't sure how long he was left sitting there on her front porch but he couldn't find it in himself to leave. He finally felt a sense of peace when it came to his failed relationship with Haley and for that he was grateful but even more than that, he acknowledged that she was right.

He never did push, even when he should have. When she left him he could have fought for her, it would have likely come to the same conclusion, but he never did. He was sure he could sit here all night and try and figure out why that was but in the end it didn't matter, Haley was right. If he wanted this with Emily he was going to have to push, get her to talk to him, or at least listen. And in the end if it never went anywhere other than where it was he could be okay with that, because at least he tried.

But for the first time in a long time he had hope for it being something more.

* * *

><p>Emily blinked open her eyes, then snuggled a little deeper into the warm blanket draped across her and smiled slightly for a moment. Sometime in the last couple of hours while she was curled up sleeping in one of the visiting chairs, one of the nurses must have come into the room and covered her up. She supposed that it was one of the advantages to her mother's position that they allowed her to come and go as she pleased, even when visiting hours were over for the day. They really had gone above and beyond since her mother was admitted; fussing and fretting over her like she was an orphan. It was a position that was unfamiliar to her, she was usually the one doing the fussing and fretting.<p>

After taking note of the heart monitor's steady beeps, indicating the Ambassador's continued wellbeing she allowed her gritty tired eyes to drift shut again and her thoughts to wander, hoping for just a little more sleep.

Emily headed back to her hotel when visiting hours were over for the day and found that she couldn't sit still, ending up pacing the floor, her mind in knots. For over an hour she tried to relax and unwind but finally had given up and headed back for the hospital and her mother's room. Here, listening to the gentle beeps and whirls of the equipment seemed to help her focus her thoughts and relax for a while. With the reassurance of her mother's wellbeing she was able, without guilt or stress, to think about the other thoughts plaguing her mind… namely, Hotch.

"Why are you still here?" The soft voice from the bed next to her gave her such a shock that Emily jerked violently at the intrusion into her thoughts.

Whatever it was that her mother saw on her face it was enough to cause the Ambassador to purse her lips in thought.

Emily allowed her legs to drop to the floor and leaned forward so she was closer to her mother, keeping her voice soft in deference to the time of night. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't. But I thought you would have been on your way back to Washington by now." Yeah, she hadn't really thought that evading would work, it never did.

"I'm not due back until Monday and I thought…" She shrugged her shoulder, inelegantly, unsure of how to finish that sentence.

Elizabeth shot her daughter a look telling her, without saying a word, that her normal evasions were not going to work tonight.

Emily sighed and gave her mother a halfhearted smile. "I thought I would travel back to Washington with you if they release you tomorrow. Or I could stay for a few more days."

"It's a lovely thought, but you have a life to get back to and I believe that I shall have more than enough help getting back home." Elizabeth's eyes flowed over Emily, trying to figure out what it was that had her daughter so unsettled.

If there was one thing that she could say about her mother, she was strong willed and if she decided she was going to be well enough to leave the hospital then she would be. She was recovering from the surgery faster than they had suspected that she would and all things being equal they were going to release her to the care of her staff and a home nurse the next day, allowing her the luxury of completing her recovery at home.

She glanced out of the side of her eyes at her mother and for the first time in years she wanted nothing more than to unburden her soul to Mom. She used to do it all the time when she was younger. Late nights in the kitchen at the various Embassies they had lived in, back when she was still able to see the Ambassador as just her mom. Long before things fell apart between them.

Her mother's look softened at the slightly distressed look on her face and she decided to bite the bullet and hopefully find some kind of clarity in the process.

"I think I might have really screwed up this time Mom." Her voice was soft and wavering when she spoke.

"Hmm," She closed her eyes and nodded slowly. "I was wondering when you were going to tell me."

There was a question in her voice as she looked at her mother. "Tell you?"

"Tell me about what's happening between you and Aaron Hotchner."

Emily's mouth snapped shut and she could feel the tightening in her jaw. She was ready to fight, to defend her actions and how she felt about him but there was no condemnation in Elizabeth's eyes; only deep understand and a desire to help. Something she never would have expected from her given that any relationship between her and her supervisor was going to cause a hit to Emily's reputation.

Emily closed her eyes, unsure where to start, or even how much she wanted to share.

Elizabeth reached out and grasped her daughter's hand, knowing how hard it was for the younger woman to share with her, especially after all this time. "I knew at Christmas that there was something different going on with you and then when he phoned…" her mother shrugged her shoulder, "You seemed so happy, in a way that you hadn't in years."

"Mom…"

"It's okay Emily, even without you telling me, I know you don't like politics, and we certainly never gave you a good example for what that kind of life can be like."

Emily looked down at the floor, not sure what to say. Politics was a huge part of who her mother was and in that moment it felt a lot like she was saying that she didn't like her mother either.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes in understanding. "I just hope that the same example didn't extend to how you feel about love and relationships because there again, your father and I didn't set the best example for you of what a marriage should be."

Emily regarded her mother and didn't know what to say, how to reassure her, especially since what she said was true. The absolute apathy her parents had for each other, especially knowing that they were never exactly a love match, made her incredible wary of men in general, always looking for an ulterior motive when they were nice to her, when they showed her the least bit of attention.

"So tell me, tell me what has happened to put you in such straights." She figured that she needed to get the ball rolling or Emily would find some way to evade the discussion.

Emily leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath and for the next hour she told her mother everything. Her wariness in the quad when he first came to her, to her shock at realizing that he wasn't really the man that they all thought that he was, and her discovery that this man was someone who she could genuinely see spending her life with.

She shared everything with her. Emily told her about all of the things that they had done and what he had shown her, all of the little secrets to his life that he had shared with her. Her shock and delight to find that he had a sense of humor and how much he enjoyed surprising her. She shared everything, right down to the moment she discovered that she was truly in love, and likely for the first time ever.

When she reached the end and told her about that day in his office her mother actually scoffed at her, earning a smile from Emily along with a slight blush, as she recounted the following weeks, up until she left to come to New York.

"It all sounds like miscommunications and misunderstandings to me."

"I know. I think I knew that same day, as soon as I calmed down, exactly that he was saying, not just what I was hearing. Aaron is not the kind of man that would lead someone on like that and I think I was using it as an excuse to back off a bit."

"So if you realize this and it's something you want, why didn't you fix things back then, before it became more complicated?" And she said it like it was just that simple. She was genuinely curious; she had never known her daughter to be timid about anything she wanted.

"Aaron is always straight forward about everything. He doesn't mince his words and he will tell you exactly what he's thinking. It's one of the things that I love most about him. But when it comes to this, he's not talking. It's all guess work on my part, trying to figure out what he wants."

"But you already said that he doesn't play those kinds of games, so is it really that unreasonable to assume that what you are seeing is exactly what it is?"

"Yes, but…" Emily's voice trailed off and she broke eye contact.

"You're scared." Elizabeth prepared herself to pick the scab off a very old wound and prayed that it wouldn't further the rift between them. "You are not me Emily. And Aaron Hotchner is certainly nothing like your Father."

Emily's eyes snapped back to her mother and her mouth parted slightly in shock at having her issues laid out on the table like that. She was about to bark back, to shut the conversation down before it started till she noticed the look of sadness in her mom's eyes.

"That's what this is really all about isn't it? Why you have consistently picked the worst men possible and shied away from any of the ones that could go somewhere. You are trying to protect yourself from ending up in a marriage like mine."

She wanted to lash out and get angry but there was at least some truth to what her mother was saying. She leaned back in the chair and looked out the window thinking back over the years and all of her less than impressive relationships. She didn't think it was as simple as that but Emily had to admit that it was likely the starting point.

Elizabeth sighed and for the first time ever, truly opened up to Emily. "You don't end up in a marriage like mine by accident. I knew exactly what I was doing and so did your Father. We were both ambitious and knew that we had a much greater chance of succeeding together. There was chemistry there, but never anything to build a marriage on, besides our shared goals."

Emily turned back to her mother and listed to her recount the earliest parts of her parents relationship and began to see it in a new light. She had always assumed that her mother had ended up in a relationship that turned bad. Never once had it occurred to her that she might have chosen the path she took. For once the blinders were off and she was seeing her mother for the woman she really was, not just the Ambassador she had been all these years and with that new understanding came a small grain of hope.

"Emily, I spent most of my life calculating the odds, weighing out the benefits of any course of action against the things I wanted to achieve. And as I lay here this last week, knowing I'm approaching the end of my life and all I can see are the regrets for the choices I didn't make." Elizabeth reached out and grasped her daughter's hand, hoping that she would hear what she was saying. "Don't get to the end of yours and find that this is one of your regrets, because you didn't take the chance."

Emily's eyes softened at the wistful note in her mother's voice and wondered just what had caused it. And as much as she would have loved to have asked; this is the most she could ever remember her mother sharing with her, she really didn't want to push and have her mother shut her out again.

"I'm scared Mom. I don't know how to be…" She flapped her hand trying to find the right word but gave up and let her shoulders droop.

"You think he doesn't already know that Emily, that he doesn't know you? This is a man you trust enough to stand at your back with a loaded weapon. Don't you think you could trust him here too, to show you what you don't know and help you find a place where you both fit?"

Emily nodded her head and dropped her eyes to the floor. She trusted Hotch, one of only six people in the world that she truly did. And out of all of the people she knew, he likely knew better than anyone that she had issues, that even her issues had issue. She could trust him in this. She nodded her head again and looked up at her mother, grateful that the woman she remember as a child was still there. She could feel the tears well in her eyes and the wounds she had harbored for years starting to heal.

"But what if I'm wrong Mom?"

Elizabeth gave her hand a gentle squeeze and lowered her voice. "Go and talk to him, talk to him, trust him and then jump in with both feet, take the risk. I think he'll be more than worth it."

Emily cradled her Mom's hand between her own and gave a short nod.

"Good. Now shut up, get out of my room and let me get some sleep. I want to go home tomorrow and I need to rest if I want them to let me escape."

Emily gave a soft chuckle and rested her head on the bed next to their hands. "I'll go in a few minutes." With that she closed her eyes and felt a kind of peace fill her that she never had when she was with her mother.

She wondered if tonight was going to be a turning point for her, in all her relationships.

* * *

><p><em>Chapter Fifteen – Finding Your Soul<em>


	15. Finding Your Soul

_**Chapter Fifteen – Finding Your Soul**_

* * *

><p>Hotch stepped into his apartment and closed the door gently behind him. He negligently dropped his briefcase on the floor next to the door and his keys on the table before leaning against the hard oak and closing his tired eyes. He reached up and scrubbed his face with his hands, trying to wash the images out of his mind that had been plaguing him for the last hour.<p>

He was fine while he was at work. Even on a Friday evening he could keep himself occupied with last minute file notes and catching up on all the things he didn't get to when they were gone. But then he ran out of things to do, reasons to stay shut up in his office, things to keep him occupied. When he finally admitted defeat and headed home that's when his mind started to work.

It was the one real disadvantage to being as focused as he was. All he had been able to think about for the whole drive home was Emily.

She was on a date.

And it was with someone other than him.

She had arrived back from New York that morning and had come into the office to let him know that she was back now, that her mother was doing fine and would be completing her recovery at her home just outside of Washington. Everyone sat around the conference room with her, got caught up and found out what had happened with her mother. They chatted about her case, how things had gone once they got out into the field and let her know that her original case profile had been dead on.

Everything was looking up, there was a positive feeling in the air and he decided then and there that he was going to ask her to have a drink with him after they left for the day. She seemed upbeat and buoyant in a way that she hadn't for weeks and he had a good feeling about trying to talk to her. She was making eye contact with him again, seeking him out to talk to, things that she had been avoiding for the last few weeks and he wondered if she was finally ready.

Just as he was about to approach her, Strauss made an appearance to congratulate her on the work she did before she had to leave. While that was good for Emily, to know that her work was being recognized, it was bad for him because after that he couldn't get close enough to her to ask her for that drink.

Over the next hour he was pulled in every direction imaginable and while it was a normal part of his day, for the first time ever, he resented it.

Finally he manage to pull himself away from his job and was headed down to the bullpen to ask her about that drink when he overheard Garcia asking that very question. With a soft smile on her face she declined, admitting that she had plans that evening and likely would not be getting home until late.

Right then and there, any determination he had to talk to her died.

She looked so happy.

Aaron could feel the mounting tension headache coming on and wanted to do nothing but sink to the floor and stay there for the next couple of hours. Obsess over his thoughts. What they could be doing? What she would be wearing? Would she laugh at his jokes? Would she let him kiss her when he dropped her off at home?

Would she invite him inside?

He turned his head to the side and peaked down at the keys he never did return to her, that night he stayed at her apartment, when he slept just down the hall from her, so close but still not as close as he wanted to be now. He had, for one brief moment, the insane notion to go to her apartment and wait for her, make sure that her 'date' never made it inside the front door.

To finally confront her about his feelings for her, force her to admit what she was feeling for him. He knew it was there, just beneath the surface and even though she never gave him any overt sign of her feelings, there was no mistaking the passion he felt from her when he kissed her that night.

And as much as the idea appealed, to go barging in on her at home as she was coming home from a date, claiming her as his own for everyone to see, he was nowhere near that crazy yet. If he pulled a stunt like that she would more than likely to remove his head from his shoulders and he wouldn't blame her a bit.

Tomorrow would be soon enough. He couldn't change what was happening at the moment and if he tried it might serve to make her angry enough to push him farther away. And in the end, it wasn't worth the risk.

But still he sat at home and was tormented by his thoughts.

He pushed himself off the door and headed for the table where his bottle of scotch was waiting for him. Seemed like a fabulous time to get just smashing drunk.

* * *

><p>"<em>You have always taken the path of least resistance."<em>

The words swirled around in his head over and over again. Was that what he was doing this time too? By waiting until tomorrow, putting it off one more day, was he just letting her walk away because it was easier than confronting her about how he was feeling? Did he really believe that admitting to her that he cared for her, was in love with her, that it would drive her away?

"_You look tired."_

No, he knew Emily. He knew her heart and she would never hold it against him. Even if he confronted her and he was wrong she would still be his friend. The last few weeks had shown him that. Even when things were strained between them, when she had to have realized that something had changed for him at least, he could feel how much she cared for him. She would never push him away like that.

He looked down at the keys still held in his grasp, gently fingering the small pieces of gold and silver. Should he take this as a sign, the fact that she never asked for them back? She had to know he still had them; she wasn't careless with her safety. But for some reason she never mentioned them again. Perhaps it was her way of showing him that she was interested in more. That she wanted him to come to her. Not on a conscious level of course, she was never that deliberate, but perhaps it was the sign he needed.

With that thought in mind, Aaron lifted himself into a sitting position and was determined that he was going to go and talk to her, to hell with her date. Unfortunately the forward momentum set off his slightly intoxicated mind causing the room to swirl slightly and he allowed himself to flop back, returning to the relative safety of the couch he had been laying about on for the last couple of hours.

Perhaps he would wait till the room stopped shifting on its own, then he would go see her. Somehow he didn't think in his current state that he would be able to present any kind of a valid argument should he need to and perhaps he should have thought of that before he had his first glass of scotch.

His mind was shifting to the thought that he could always take a cab over when he heard a gentle tapping on the door. Rather than getting up he lifted his head off of the arm cushion and glared at the door, willing the person on the other side to go away.

Yes, he was more than aware he was sulking.

After the last couple of years he figured he was entitled to a little self-pity.

He closed his eyes and let out a soft groan as the knock came the second time, just a little harder than the last, but still quietly enough not to wake him if he was sleeping; it was certainly late enough for that. That alone got his curiosity going and he levered himself up from the couch, making his way to the door. Leaning over and looking through the peep hole he let out a soft gasp at the sight that met his eyes.

Hotch pulled open the door and sucked in a hard breath at the sight before him. Emily, the woman he had been thinking obsessively about since that morning was standing at his door. For a moment he looked down at the glass still clutched in his hand and her apartment keys dangling from the other and had to wonder if she was nothing more than a figment of his slightly intoxicated imagination. Fortunately, he wasn't anywhere near that drunk, which could only mean one thing.

_She came to him._

For the life of him he couldn't understand why she was there, he couldn't seem to wrap his brain around the idea and as a result he stood there, blocking the doorway with a rather intense scowl on his face as he tried to make it make sense. She was supposed to be on a date, with what's his name, not here, with him. And to make matters worse, she looked so incredibly beautiful tonight. He could feel his breath catch in his chest, and with it a pain screaming at him about what wasn't his to have. It was like a new form of torture for his already weary heart.

She had left her long dark hair loose with a slight wave to it but it was free to flit about her slim face, somehow making her look younger and more relaxed than he was used to. Her make-up also added to the effect, in that she had almost none on, just enough to enhance her own natural beauty, but did nothing to detract from what a beautiful woman she was all on her own.

His brow furrowed slightly at the rest of her, where he would have expected a dress or something similar she was wearing soft, flowing black pants glided along her legs from the hip and gave it a slightly more dressy feel than her normal dress pants, combined with that was a soft, satin red blouse, the sight of which made his blood flare. God he loved her in red. He looked down at her bare stocking clad feet and almost smirked, dangling from the tips of her fingers were her black pumps.

Emily shifted from foot to foot as she waited for him to say something, anything, to give her an indication of what he was thinking. But as the moments passed she felt what hope she had been harboring since she left New York fading away.

When he tried to talk his voice was so husky he had to clear his throat before trying again. "What's wrong?"

She looked back at Aaron and felt a jolt of nervous energy flow through her blood. God, she prayed she was right about this. Her eyes took the same path as his own had with her, examining him, detailing everything about him. His hair was slightly mused from running his fingers through it, the stubborn few strands at the back sticking up as they were prone to do, making her fingers twitch with the desire to reach up and run her fingers through his hair, gentling the strands back into place.

His shirt was creased from the days wear, causing her to clinch her right fist again in an effort not to reach out and smooth out the wrinkles. At some point he had taken off his tie and rolled up his shirt sleeves, making him look so much more relaxed and welcoming than she had the right to hope for. This mess was mostly her making and she just hoped she had the chance to fix it, that her own fear hadn't left things too long.

"Can I come in?" Emily took in his stance, the way his body was blocking the doorway and was seriously afraid that he would say no.

His eyes widened at how off-putting he must have seemed. He hurriedly moved out of the way so that she could slip past him. "Please."

Aaron stood to the side and as she made her way past him, carelessly dropping her shoes and clutch bag just inside the doorway next to his previously abandoned briefcase and he sucked in a deep breath at the sight, how right it looked. He caught a breath of her soft delicate scent and clutched hard at his glass to control the impulse to reach out and just grab her, pull her to him.

Watching with cautious eyes, he stood back as she moved through the room until she stood in the middle of it. Realizing he looked like an idiot, standing there holding the door open. He quickly shut it and made his way over to where she was standing. He tried to get her to look at him but she kept shifting from foot to foot, her eyes darting about the dimly lit room. She seemed embarrassed and uncomfortable in his presence.

It wasn't something he was no longer used to.

Hotch reached out and gripped her hand in his. Setting his glass and the keys down on the table he reached for the other and turned her to face him.

When he finally spoke his voice was soft, comforting. "Why are you here Emily?"

In his mind what he was really screaming was _tell me how to fix this_.

Emily sighed and looked down at his hands, the gentle, comforting way he was holding her own. It symbolized everything about them, he was warm, holding her if she needed it but would let her go if she pulled away. She swallowed hard, trying to figure out where to start, how to tell him what she had discovered, or what she had finally admitted to herself.

This is where she belonged, the thing she had always been looking for but was so very afraid of. "I was just on my way home. You're lights were still on so I took a chance."

Hotch scowled as he glanced at the clock, his voice hardening marginally. "I would have thought you would still be out this early in the evening."

Emily frowned at him, trying to understand the look he had, the tone of his words. Her mind flew though everything that had been said and done in the last few weeks before it finally hit her. Her eyes widened in understanding and her breath was driven from her as she attempted to reassure him. "Oh… Oh no. No Aaron." She gave his hands a soft squeeze with her own. "I was with my mother tonight, helping her settle in."

His face relaxed slightly at that but there was still a tension in his frame that couldn't be mistaken. Emily stepped closer to him feeling the heat radiating from him. "I said no… repeatedly. That day, in the office, Pen took it the wrong way when I agreed to have a coffee with him, as friends, nothing more, and then everything was moving so fast that I never had a chance to explain."

As he relaxed more she moved closer, until they were standing just inches apart. "I said yes to a short coffee this afternoon while I waited for my mother to get back from New York, nothing more. He knows there will never be anything there, at least not for me."

His voice was soft, curious, although he half dreaded what she might say. "Why?"

"Why did I say no to a date? Or why would there be nothing for me?"

"Yes… to both." He needed her to say it, definitive words, telling him what she wanted, what she needed, he just prayed that it was what he wanted to hear and that he was ready for them, whatever they were.

Emily looked down at the floor and closed her eyes, ready to open up to him, to share what she was feeling and prayed that it turned out the way she hoped. "He wasn't you Aaron, he would never be you."

Emily looked up into his eyes and saw them darkened faintly but he gave no other indication that he had heard what she said. Fear filled her and she started to talk, faster than her mind could form the sentences. "I spent most of the time over coffee, making small talk, bored out of my mind. All I kept thinking about was… I couldn't stop thinking…" she let out a trembling breath before she continued, "I kept wishing I was here… with you. Wanting to feel…" Her voice trailed off and when it became apparent that she wasn't going to finish, he finally started to push.

"Feel what Emily?" His voice was raspy as he attempted to repress what he was feeling, letting her finish what she needed to say.

"To feel the way I did when you…" Again she stopped speaking but this time she raised trembling fingers and trailed them across his lower lip, causing Aaron to suck in a hard breath as desire filled his blood at their meaning.

He gaped at her, his mind slowly processing what the words meant, that it was everything he had hoped for. Hotch let go of her hand and took a step back not realizing how the movement would seem to her. Now that the moment was in front of him every well-rehearsed line that he had thought to say to her had left him. She was the only woman in all of his years that could leave him feeling this tongue tied.

Emily closed her eyes at the pain caused by his sudden distance from her, panic flaming her blood and she could feel the fight or flight instinct taking hold.

_Oh God, Oh God, I was wrong… He doesn't want me._

She could feel the blush creeping up her cheeks and knew she had to get out of there before she did something monumentally stupid, well even more stupid, like beg him to love her. She turned sharply and bolted for the door, determined to get away from him and this feeling that she had. She made it as far as the getting the door opened before it was forcefully closed, his hand pressed hard against the wood in front of her.

She closed her eyes and let her head fall forward till it was resting on the cool wood.

"Emily…"

Aaron let his head rest against the back of her own and his free hand dropped to her waist. Tentative at first he slipped the tips of his fingers along the fabric before becoming bolder and allowing his hand to follow the line of her waist till his arm was banned around her, holding her to him, keeping her from leaving him.

"Please… Just let me leave." Her voice was so soft, so sad that it broke his heart just a little bit, but he swore to himself that he was going to make sure that she never had cause to sound that way again.

"No." He felt her tremble and pulled her tighter to his frame so that the entire length of his body was draped along hers. "No Emily, how could you possibly believe that after saying something like that I would ever let you leave me?"

Aaron turned her from the door and cupped her face in the palms of his hands, tipping her head up so that he could look into her beautiful brown eyes.

He pressed his lips to hers and Emily let out a soft gasp. Where the last time was soft, slow and tentative, this one was all about heat, and need, longing. His tongue tangled with hers as he attempted to devour her, pulling her tight so that not even air could come between them anymore. His hand slid around her waist, pinning her to his body, the other reached up to cup her neck, preventing her from pulling away from him.

Now that he had her here, the way that he wanted her, he was never going to let her leave. Emily reached up and grasped his shoulders to maintain her balance as she was almost pulled off her feet. She slid her hands along the width of his shoulders to band around his neck, finally allowing her fingers to tangle in his hair.

Aaron stumbled backwards and came to rest against the wall with a thump. Since Emily was still draped over him he made no attempt to move, just settle back and continued to enjoy what he had been hoping would happen for months.

When air finally became an issue he pulled away and Emily allowed her desire drugged eyes to blink open. As she looked at him she felt tears welling up in her eyes. He looked so relaxed and open, so… joyful.

Emily's eyes darted to the side as she confessed what she had been feeling over the last few months. "I'm scared Hotch. I don't know how to do this. I've spent my entire life trying to hide from this very thing, and I'm afraid that I'm going to mess this up and it's too important, you're too important. That's why I ran from you that night."

"I know you are sweetheart and I can't promise you that this isn't going to be a lot of work or that it's not going to be messy but we can make it, if we try, together." His voice was just above a whisper and her eyes were drawn back to his.

The look on his face was so honest and so sure that she could feel the tension leaving her muscles as she relaxed back into him. Aaron reached up and he softly petted the skin of her face with the tips of his fingers, taking in the details of her up close, before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to her lips before pulling back again.

After the third time he leaned in to kiss her she let out a soft, childlike giggle over how he was behaving, but unable to pull away. Anything to keep that look on his face just a little bit longer.

"Emily… I love you." His lips quirked up at the soft gasp she let out at that. "Promise me, you won't run from me again."

"I promise." There was a slight quiver in her voice as she responded but the happiness still lit her eyes so he leaned down and kissed her softly again. "I promise."

She leaned back into him and let her head come to rest on his shoulder and Aaron unable to resist leaned his head forward and buried his nose in her hair by her ear, just breathing in her scent and enjoying the warmth of her body, finally, so close to his own.

When he spoke, it was soft, hesitant to break the mood that had settled around them. "I'm so sorry Emily. I know I made this harder on you. When things started to change, when I started to see something different in us, I should have come to you, told you what I was seeing, but I too was afraid, afraid of losing what we already had." With a gentle finger under her chin he tipped her face back up and softly kissed her lips. "I realize now, what I was doing and won't let it happen again, I promise."

She snuggled in closer and breathed out against his neck. "Perhaps, but I don't even know if I would have been ready to hear it. Maybe we had to do things just this way."

He let out a soft murmur and nibbled gently on her ear causing Emily to gasp at the warmth filling her body. "Shall I tell you now, what I see."

She pulled away, just far enough to see his face clearly, letting her fingers trail along the length of his jaw. "Tell me."

"Are you sure you're ready."

She nodded her head and let her eyes flitter shut as he kissed her softly before pulling her head back to rest on his shoulder. "I can see everything, anything possible. I want a home with you Emily, children; a family. I want to grow old with you."

Emily pulled away from him and looked up into his hopeful face. "Aaron…" She trembled against him and let the tears leak from the corner of her eyes.

He pressed his lips to hers again, seeming unable to get enough of the soft, intimate contact. "Sshhh, the rest can wait, just tell me you want that too."

"I do." Emily swallowed hard and felt the smile break across her face. For once she felt no fear. "I want all of that… with you." She leaned up and this time it was her that stole a soft kiss from his lips. "And just for the record, I love you too."

He let out a blinding smile at her words. "Thank god." Hotch cupped her face in his palms and pulled her lips to his; sealing them together, refusing to ever let her go again.

Emily let out a soft groan as he pushed himself off of the wall and swung her up into his arms. Without thought he started to move through his apartment with only one destination in mind.

She considered that he was right, this was going to be complicated, scary and a lot of hard work but she thought with a smile on her face when he finally gave her enough air to breathe…

It was going to be so worth it.

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><p><em>The End<em>

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><p><em>Author's Note: So there you have it, the end. Seven months of blood, sweat, tears, and frustration. In the end I have spent too much time working on this and it's evolved in so many different ways that I can't even tell if it's any good anymore… so I will let all of you be the judge.<em>

_In the end I want to thank everyone for their kind words and support and unbelievable patience. I hope that you have enjoyed this story and in parting all I have to say is this…_

_Thank God it's over!_

_Blessings, Brandywyne_


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